


Wishful Thinking

by Eiress, superslayer



Category: Alternate Universe - Fandom, Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, crossover - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-12
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2017-11-07 14:48:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 159,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/432320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eiress/pseuds/Eiress, https://archiveofourown.org/users/superslayer/pseuds/superslayer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Sammy Winchester wanted was for his dad to be a more prominent part of his life. What happens when Halfrek overhears little Sammy’s wishes for a new dad?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All I Want for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Story Concept by Eiress
> 
>  
> 
> **Chapter 1: All I Want for Christmas**

_The Butterfly Effect is the single event that changes fate or destiny. A single instant, a single change of direction can change the lives of thousands. Turn right instead of left and you avoid the downtown tunnel accident but the elderly couple from Idaho, that came to see their granddaughter for a visit gets killed by the man who drank one too many at a bar. Turn left and you’re late for work but you helped the elderly couple who were visiting with their flat tire and they make it safely to see their granddaughter. A single, unremarkable event can change the course of a person's destiny. A single twig can change the course of the mightiest river. The Power of a Single Wish Can Change a Life. A desire unknown to your own imagination. The imagination ignites desire and hunger to initiate the process. The motivation of desire, hunger, which drives, just as a plant turns toward the sun for light and searches for water. A thought can also turn us one hundred and eighty degrees. A thought can enable one to become a sage or remain an ignorant fool. It can make a person reach all corners of the universe, from heaven to hell. Life can be changed by a person, an event, or even two simple words. For little Sammy Winchester a single wish changed everything._

Christmas Eve many years ago:

 

Twelve year old Dean Winchester eyed his six year old brother Sam as he sat sulking on his bed. Dean snaked a string of red and green lights along the motel room window and whistled a carol loudly. 

“Come on Sammy, help me with these lights,” Dean replied with a smile. “I’ve got about ten feet to go through.”

Little Sammy crossed his arms and deepened his scowl as he kicked his feet back and forth across the bed. 

“It’s Christmas Eve Sammy, you’re usually jumping on the bed now begging to open your presents.”

“When is dad going to be home?” Sammy asked softly.

“I’m sure he is on his way,” Dean answered. 

He continued draping lights around the room and flashed an encouraging smile. 

“Why did he have to work on Christmas?”

“I don’t think he planned on it but sometimes his job doesn’t take into account holidays,” Dean reasoned mildly. 

Sammy huffed as he stared at the floor. “I hate those stupid ghosts for taking daddy away on Christmas.”

“Dad is helping people Sammy, hunting is important to him,” Dean replied.

Sammy shook his head and stomped the bed. “I don’t care. Daddy loves hunting more than he loves me.”

Dean dropped the rope of lights and crossed over to the bed. He sat down next to Sam and rubbed the top of his tawny brown head.

“That’s not true Sammy, dad loves you, he really does. He hunts because he wants to save kids like you from losing their moms and dads from evil spirits. He’s thinking about you when he’s away.”

“He’s going to miss Christmas,” Sammy lamented. 

“Dad’s going to try his best to get here,” Dean replied. “Now come on and let’s get this place decorated. I’m sure dad would love to walk in from a hard day of work and see it all decked out.”

Dean steered Sammy over to a small Christmas tree resting on a table in the corner of the room. Dean laced a string of popcorn around the tree and handed Sammy a couple of decorations. After a few minutes, Sammy licked his lips and started hanging ornaments on the tree. Dean drew a small smile as the two began trimming the rest of the tree. When they got to the star, Sammy’s smile faded.

“We can’t put the star on until daddy gets here,” he said. “We always put the star on together.”

“Okay, we’ll wait until later. Are you hungry? There’s a Christmas special over at the diner tonight. Come on, get your coat.”

The boys bundled up in their winter clothes and trekked outside the motel. In a couple of quick steps, they reached the diner. Only a handful of patrons filled the fifties style diner. Holiday decorations adorned the booths as festive music played on a jukebox. After they ordered and ate, Sammy pushed his last French fry around his plate as he eyed the door to the diner. When Dean ordered the traditional dessert, Sammy brightened with a smile. He licked his lips again and dove into the plate with his brother. 

There he was, the one she had heard the screams of pain all the way to the 8th circle. The poor guy, another Christmas without his sons, typical John Winchester. They didn’t call him the bane of the underworld for nothing. Sure, she had heard rumors and even seen results from the Hunting family’s fallout –all she needed was to grant her wish and be done. Although she often wove a tight bond with her wishers.

As the night matured, Sammy fell back into his blue mood. He stabbed the crust of his pie with a fork as Dean licked up the whip cream off of his. 

“Dad is going to miss Christmas,” Sammy lamented again. “He should be home now.”

Dean stayed positive and widened his smile. “There are a lot of people out tonight. I am sure he’s just stuck in traffic or caught up somewhere. Maybe he’s out buying some last minute presents for good little boys like you Sammy.”

“I wish dad didn’t have to work today or any day,” Sammy replied. “He missed my birthday. He always misses things because of his stupid job.”

Sammy hunched over the table and shoved his plate aside. 

“I think he’ll be home in the morning,” Dean stated lightly. 

Sammy shook his head, “No, he’s not. He’s never home when I want him to be. I wish stupid ghosts and stuff didn’t exist.”

Dean drew alarm and looked around the diner. He let out a breath of relief when he noticed the patrons sitting around them were all involved in conversation and didn’t hear Sammy’s complaints. 

“Why can’t we just be normal kids and play Little League on weekends and go to the same school and have Christmas in the same house?”

“Come on let’s go back to the motel and get some sleep,” Dean replied. “The sooner we go to bed, the sooner Santa can come and leave us presents.”

Sammy brightened with a toothy grin as Dean paid the check. A short time later, Dean left a lamp on before they went to bed. 

Before she could get close enough to investigate further the two brothers had left and she could only wait till later to investigate further. After all there was a bonus for any demon that could take the Winchesters out of the equation and this was one time Anyanka was not going to win

 

The next morning, Sammy bolted forward in bed and widened his eyes in excitement.

“It’s Christmas!”

Sammy whipped his head around the room. Dean let out a yawn and watched the smile on Sammy’s face quickly fading away. 

“Daddy’s not here,” Sammy moaned. “He missed Christmas again.”

Dean stumbled out of bed and stretched. He pried a smile on his face and hovered by the tree. He snatched up a present and shuffled over to Sammy’s bed.

“Merry Christmas Sammy,” he chimed. “Come on open it.”

Sammy crossed his little arms over his chest and frowned. 

“I hate dad!”

Dean let out a long sigh. 

“You don’t mean that Sammy.”

Sammy nodded. 

“I hate daddy. He’s not here. He’s never here. He doesn’t love me. If he did, he would be here on Christmas, he would be here to put the star on the tree, he would be here to eat the Christmas pie and open presents!”

Sammy stared at Dean and eyed the present in his hand.

“You do all those things,” Sammy noted. “You love me.”

Dean ruffled the hair on the top of his head. “Yeah, kiddo, you know I do. Now open your present.”

Sammy grinned as he tore the wrapping off. His eyes widened with glee. 

“Awesome!” he cooed. “Thank you!”

Sammy jumped off his bed and ran over to the tree. He picked out a gift and ran back over to Dean. He dropped the gift in his lap. Dean eyed the name on the present.

“This is for dad,” he said. 

Sammy shook his head. “I am giving it to you Dean.”

“Are you sure?”

Sammy nodded. “I want you to have it. Open it! Open it!”

Dean drew a smile as he ripped the paper off and found a small cardboard box. He took the lid off and saw a black band necklace with an unusual amulet hanging from it. He fished it out of the box and admired it.

“Wow, this is pretty neat Sammy,” he said.

“Uncle Bobby helped me pick it out when we saw him last week. He says it protects you from evil spirits.”

Dean hooked it over his head. 

“Do you like it Dean?”

Dean shined a smile. “Yeah Sammy, I love it. Thanks.”

“You’re the best brother,” Sammy replied. 

Dean ruffled the kid’s head again before he got up. 

“You are too,” Dean said. “I’m going to take a quick shower and then we can open some more presents and then grab some breakfast.”

Sammy nodded as Dean disappeared into the bathroom.

“I wish you were my daddy,” Sammy said softly.

Halfrek had followed the boys home last night and just when she was about to give up, she heard the sweet melody of the wish ‘-I wish you were my daddy,’

Halfrek without fanfare whispered back, “WISH GRANTED”


	2. The World According to Sammy

Little Sammy Winchester let out a loud yawn and rolled out of bed. He blinked in surprise when he noticed the classic car bed and the boys’ bedroom adorned with robots and various toys. He stumbled back a few steps as he looked around for his brother.

“Dean? Daddy?”

Sammy grew fearful when no one answered. 

“Daddy? Daddy?!” he cried frantically. 

He heard footsteps echoing outside his room before Dean poked his head inside. Sammy widened his eyes when he saw his older brother, now a young adult, regarding him with great concern.

“Sammy? You okay?”

Sammy blinked with shock for a minute. 

“You’re my daddy?”

Dean feigned an annoyed frown. 

“I sure hope so or you’ve been making me work really hard for the past six years for no good reason!”

Dean burst into a brief chuckle as he moved into the room. 

“Come on Sammy, you need to eat your breakfast and get ready for school.”

Dean gently ushered Sammy out of the room. Sammy shined a grin and danced in his step.

“Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy!”

Dean glanced down at Sammy in curiosity. 

“Wow, buddy, you haven’t been this excited to get up for school in a long time.”

Dean smiled at Sammy and ruffled the top of his head. Sammy followed him into a modest sized kitchen. He noticed the table set up with a kid sized bowl and cup. Sammy climbed onto a chair as Dean put out a selection of cereals and poured some juice for him. 

Sammy watched Dean in fascination as he shuffled through the kitchen. He filled a travel mug with coffee and dropped a small leather folder on top of a green bag on the island counter. He perused the paper briefly before he shifted his eyes to Sammy. 

“What’s the matter Sammy? Did you want something else for breakfast?”

Dean glanced at his watch. 

“I have a little bit of time to whip up some eggs for you if you want,” he said. 

Sammy eyed Dean in wonder a little longer before he picked up a cereal box and shook it over his bowl. Dean smiled and fished out a carton of milk. He poured some in the bowl and put the milk in the fridge when he heard his cell phone blaring a classic rock ringtone. He eyed the caller ID on the screen.

“Hey Oz, what’s up?.....Woah, you sound awful.....food poisoning? Where did you eat last night?......oh, well I’m glad I don’t like Indian food.......”

Sammy watched Dean as he conversed on the phone. He beamed a gleeful smile and whispered, “I wished it. I wished he was my daddy and it came true!” 

He shoved a spoonful of cereal in his mouth and cheerfully chewed.

“Thank you whoever made my wish come true,” he replied softly.

Dean glanced at his watch again before he checked on Sammy. 

“Today?.....hold on, let me check what I got going....”

Dean drifted over to the counter and opened his leather folder. He paged through the calendar. 

“Uh, I have some detailing to do but I can have my guys take care of it....after that, just a couple of tune ups and then inventory, nothing I really need to come in for so yeah, no problem....you feel better man.....yeah, I don’t blame you from banning curry for life......okay man, take it easy.”

Dean hung up and glanced at Sammy who was slurping up the milk in his bowl. 

“Okay kiddo, let’s get you cleaned up and dressed for school.”

Dean picked up his bowl and dropped it in the sink before he shuffled Sammy back through the hallway. After a quick shower, Dean urged Sammy to pick out clothes. Sammy tore through his closet and dresser and was amazed at the variety and styles of clothes. He had become accustomed to the same pair of shirts, pants and shoes bought at second hand stores. 

“No, no, Sammy, those are Kansas summer clothes,” Dean imparted. 

Sammy blinked in awe. “We’re in Kansas?”

Dean pulled open a drawer with winter wardrobe clothes before he eyed Sammy with slight worry. He patted a hand on Sammy’s forehead.

“You feeling okay Sammy? Hmmm, you don’t have a fever.”

Sammy shook his head, “I’m just....excited.”

Sammy licked his lips as he threw some clothes on and tied his shoes. He looked up at Dean with wide eyes as he skipped down the hallway again. 

Dean collected his coffee mug and stuffed his binder in his bag before he shrugged into his coat. He picked out a lunchbox from the fridge and snatched up Sammy’s brown book bag resting by the side door. 

Sammy followed Dean through the side door leading into the garage. Sammy grinned when he saw the Impala and darted over. 

After a quick drive, Dean pulled to the curb in front of the school. Sam eyed the other kids climbing out of cars and strolling inside.

“Okay, Sammy, have fun at school, I’ll see you at three.”

Sam blinked in wonder. “You’re going to pick me up after school?”

“Of course I will,” Dean replied.

“You won’t be late or not show up for some reason?”

Dean drew a concerned look as he studied Sam. 

“Why would I not come get you after school?”

Sammy shrugged. “Sometimes daddies don’t.”

Dean patted Sammy on the head. “Well, I’m not that kind of dad. You know I’m always here at three to pick you up. If I’m running late, I call your principal and he gets your teacher to wait with you until I get here.”

Sammy threw his arms around Dean.

“You’re the best daddy!” he cried gleefully. “I love you!”

“I love you too kiddo,” Dean replied. “Now go on inside and I’ll see you later.”

Sammy nodded and shined a grin before he climbed out of the car. He waved as Dean pulled away from the curb. After a minute of taking in his normal life, he skipped down the walkway towards his school. 

 

Buffy Summers blinked in awe as she veered her car around a quaint street in downtown Lawrence. Every person strolling along the sidewalk gave her a friendly wave as she drove by. She politely waved back as she sipped her morning coffee from a large pink travel mug. She eyed the clock on the dashboard and let out a sigh of relief that she was making good time. 

She had fretted over her being late for her first day at her new job, as most of her belongings were still packed away in moving boxes.   
It had taken her nearly two hours to dig out her winter wardrobe. When she had stepped out of her house this morning, she had been hit with an alarmingly frosty blast of wind that made her regret not buying a down jacket before she moved to the Midwest, not to mention a decent pair of boots once the snow began to fall. She had to settle for a black corduroy coat and some flat heeled leather boots.

She took a long sip of coffee and let out a contented sigh as the warm liquid melted the chills racking her body. The heating system in her 1998 VW Golf had been busted almost six years but having lived in a mild climate most of her life, she had never had the need to replace it, until now. She made a mental note to add to her growing list of all the necessities of a Kansas lifestyle. City girl to small town girl was definitely going to take some getting used to, but she was determined to make a new life for herself here. She had a new job she was very excited about, a cute little house she was looking forward to decorating and a dreamy, white Christmas just around the corner to enjoy.

Though she didn’t know anyone in town, she had always had the fortune of making friends easily wherever she went. She hoped the high school had some girls her age on the faculty or at least a friendly neighbor. She made another mental note to introduce herself to the people on her block. 

As her mind filled with an abundance of tasks, she glanced at the shops and restaurants hugging the street. She drew a smile at the cozy and laidback demeanor of the town as she turned down a street leading to the school.

Buffy jumped and gasped when the car suddenly began to sputter and rumble violently. She saw steam bursting through the cracks of the hood. 

“Oh no,” she lamented. “Not now.”

The car coughed a few more times as Buffy eyed the traffic around her. She let out a long sigh as she was forced to pull off the road. She cut the engine and swung the door open. She got out and bit her lip as the fumes wafting from the car thickened. 

“Oh great,” she moaned. “So much for being on time.”

She rubbed her quickly frosting hands together as she circled the car. She stared at the hood a long time having no clue what to do. She looked around the street for a phone booth in hopes of finding a directory book when she heard the low grumbling of a car engine behind her. She let out another long sigh when she didn’t see a phone booth. She glanced at her watch and shook her head. She had really hoped to show up to work early. 

Buffy took pause when the grumbling of a car engine grew louder. She felt a blast of warm air washing over her as she swung her eyes behind her. She let out a breath when her eyes rolled over an old looking car that had eased next to her. Then she nearly toppled over in pleasant surprise when she got a good look at the driver. He was in no way near the age of the car.

Wowee.

Talk about yummy goodness. 

 

Dean cranked up the radio of the classic rock station as he maneuvered through the downtown district. He flashed a friendly smile to the folks who waved to him as he drove by. He knew just about everyone in Lawrence by first name as most of the residents had been born and raised in the sleepy Midwest city. 

Strangers always got noticed around here. Most of the time, they were just passing through town, doing a little sight seeing or having a piece of one of Sue’s famous pies that was always written up in the local paper. Once in awhile, a few unfamiliar faces dropped in to fuel up before heading on to another more popular destination. In the weeks leading up to the harsh winter months, he rarely saw new faces, most likely due to the fact that the temperature in town began to drop. If you weren’t used to the cold or the heavy snowfall, a leisurely visit could be quite miserable. The tourist crowd usually stayed away until the more pleasant months when the Harvest and Corn Festival attracted people from all over the state. New faces, let alone new residents were very rare to come across. He couldn’t recall the last time someone new had dropped into town.

So when Dean veered onto the main street leading to the high school, he did a double take when he noticed a new face in town. As he steered the Impala down the street, he let off the gas and felt his mouth drop open a little when the new face was amazingly noticeable. He pulled off the road and eased along side an incredibly attractive young girl with long curly blonde hair. Her face was knitted with confusion and distress as she circled a beat up ’98 VW Golf. When she returned to the driver side, she turned and met his eyes. 

Wow. 

New faces rarely ever looked as fine as hers. 

 

Dean chuckled softly to himself as he looked over the car. She was in better shape than the car she drove. And what a great shape she was. A pair of slender denim clad legs peeked out from a long coat and he would have bet money she had the lithe body to match. He shook off his old habit of getting carried away with physical appearances as he had learned over the years that a gorgeous woman didn’t always come with attractive qualities. 

In the past, he hadn’t cared whether a girl was caring, or smart or loved dogs. He only cared that they wanted him and most of the time he hardly remembered their names. Girls were like an avid hobby to him, meeting and bagging them without too much personal conversation and always leaving before they could press him with questions about his true intentions. He had lived his younger years to the fullest but not anymore. Not with a kid he adored in his life now.

One reckless, drunken night had profoundly changed his life for the better. Before Sammy had come along, he had no real direction, no true goal, he just had fun playing dice in the back alley or late night poker in someone’s basement. He slept in, occasionally showed up to his piss poor pay job when he needed the wages to pay the entrance fees in an amateur pool tournament or hung out at a bar with the fake I.D. he had gotten when he was sixteen and picked up on girls. He did what he wanted and that was all fine with him. 

But he had buried that life six years ago once Sammy was dropped on his door with a simple but distinctly cruel note from a crazy bitch that he had hooked up with on a two day bender. He had never seen her again, nor had he ever wanted to. The excessive amount of alcohol and lust for life had driven him into her bed and he thanked the stars she had skipped town shortly after until that one fateful night he had found Sammy crying in a basinet. He was forced to grow up fast being the only family little Sammy had. As much as he hated Bella, he was grateful of her selfish, wicked ways that led to her abandonment of their offspring. 

Never again would he look at a girl as purely a distraction or a tool to satisfy his own needs. Sammy was his world now. He had kicked away all his bad habits and worked diligently as a junior mechanic until he saved up enough money to start his own auto shop in town. 

After his competitor retired and closed up shop, he became the sole provider of all the auto services for Lawrence residents. He made a moderate, comfortable living through his business and always made sure his customers were completely satisfied. It wasn’t long before word of mouth drew residents outside of Lawrence to his shop, looking for the top quality auto service he made a point to provide. As business grew, he acquired more staff and a flexible schedule to work around Sammy’s school projects and activities. 

He had dated a few girls – mainly friends of neighbors or shopkeepers - but none had shown any interest in Sammy or understood his own demands that his son came first above everything else. Most of the girls his age were just starting out their life or their careers and were completely drawn away by the idea of being an instant stepmother. 

Yeah, stepmom, he thought. He wasn’t going to casually date girls anymore. If he ever met a girl he was seriously interested in, who accepted and embraced the fact that he was a single dad, who had a big heart and a caring manner, who had a deep maternal instinct, who genuinely grew to love Sammy and looked out for his best interests, who listened with great interest to his stories about school projects and activities, then and only then, he would snatch her up and never let her go. She had to love both of the Winchesters or it wasn’t worth the time, effort or emotional fallout since Sammy always became attached to people. He rarely brought any girl home to meet Sammy because they usually failed to display the qualities he required in a potential life partner. Meeting or finding out about Sammy was pretty much the deal breaker when it came to a future with a girl.

 

Dean let out a breath when the girl turned around and met his eyes.   
He gave a friendly smile as he eyed the steam coming from her car.

“Hey, you need some help?”

Buffy returned his friendly smile but made a point not to overtly draw any flirtatious expressions. The last thing she needed was another relationship blowing up in her face. At first glance, this guy was a tall drink of water on a blazing hot day. The kind of guy that strolled into a bar oozing with confidence and raw sexiness. The kind of guy looking for a few drinks and a rocking lay with the first girl who caught his interest. If she had run into him back in L.A., she would have quickly pivoted and walked the other way before he had the chance to deliver some cheesy pickup line. She had suffered a string of bad dates preceded by an even worse relationship and she wasn’t looking to add to her disastrous love life at the moment. 

Her first instinct was turn him away but within the ten minute drive to work, she had found that everyone in this town had a genuinely friendly nature. She let out a breath and walked a little closer to the car. 

“Oh, uh, that’s okay, I’ll just call the auto club,” she said.

Buffy drew an awkward smile as a thought pressed her mind.

“Um you wouldn’t happen to have the number of the auto club, would you?”

Dean blinked in surprise when he heard the squeak in her tone when she asked him for a referral. Attractive girls usually exuded a bland or cocksure tone in their voice but hers seemed very humble and down to earth. 

Dean glanced at her expectant look as he cut the engine and climbed out of the car. 

Buffy stumbled back a step in surprise when the guy turned the car off and got out. 

“Oh, no, I really don’t mean to bother you, I’ll just call the auto club,” she said.

Dean chuckled as he ambled over to her car.

“I am the auto club,” he replied with a smile

Seeing the uncertainty on her face, Dean fished out his wallet and took out a business card. 

“Seriously,” he said as he handed her the card.

Buffy took the card from him and glanced over the info. She sighed in relief and smiled. 

“Oh, well it’s a good thing you were driving by then,” she said. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure where to go or who to call.”

Dean eyed her briefly. “New in town huh?”

“Yeah, been here a week,” she answered.

“Wanna pop the hood for me so I can take a look?”

“Oh, right, that would help,” she said.

Dean let out another chuckle at the endearing quality of her manner. She reached inside the car and flipped the latch to trigger the hood. Dean propped the hood up and waved away a spiral of smoke. 

Buffy leaned against the car and observed Dean as he examined the various parts under the hood. She glanced at the business card and admired the logo. 

“Winchester Auto Services, sounds fancy,” she remarked. 

Dean shifted his eyes from the radiator to Buffy. 

“Far from it. This is Lawrence, Kansas you know,” he replied. 

“Yeah, Kansas is far from fancy I guess,” she said. 

She watched him tweak a few knobs before she realized she had failed to politely introduce herself.

“I’m Buffy by the way,” she said.

Dean tugged out the oil gauge and cocked an eyebrow.

“Hmm, never met anyone with “By the Way” as a last name,” he said.

When she saw the teasing smile curl over his face, she couldn’t help but snicker briefly.

“Oh, um, it’s Summers, Buffy Summers,” she clarified. 

“Well, nice to meet you. Are you just passing through town?”

Buffy pocketed the business card and shook her head. 

“No, actually, I’m on my way to work, can you tell me what’s wrong with my car?”

Dean leaned against the hood. 

“Well, first of all, it’s a VW Golf, that’s your first problem....”

He let out an amused chuckle.

“Second, I think this car is older than you and third, it looks like you haven’t serviced it in quite awhile.”

“Hey, hey, no cracks about my car being older than me, considering the looks of yours,” she cracked with a teasing smile.

Dean blinked in pleasant surprise when Buffy tossed back an impressive knock. Most girls never appreciated nor got his humor. 

Buffy glanced at her watch as her brows furrowed with worry.

“I’m really gonna be late, can you fix it right now?”

Dean slipped back into his professional demeanor whenever he dealt with potential customers.

“I’m afraid not. Your radiator is shot and some of your parts are growing....cobwebs,” he replied.

He let a brief chuckle before the serious expression returned to his face.

“I recommend you get a thorough inspection, including an oil change and a new air filter,” he assessed.

Buffy blew out a breath as she bounced in her stance.

“Oh god this is getting expensive,” she moaned. “So much for showing up early on my first day on the job without any pitfalls.”

Dean retrieved his cell phone from his pocket as he addressed the growing worry on her face.

“My shop is a few blocks from here. I’ll have my guy come out and tow your car in so you don’t have to make the trip.”

Buffy brightened with appreciation. “That would be so great. You don’t happen to have a loaner car you could rent me....with like a new resident discount?”

Dean let out another chuckle. 

“I don’t know how well that would work for me considering we don’t get too many new residents out here. Where do you work anyway? If it’s on my guy’s route he could probably just drop you off.”

“Oh the high school,” she answered. “Would that be on his route?”

Dean blew out a breath. This girl was cute and funny with the sweetest smile. There had to be some kind of turn off because not too many girls in this town were the complete package. 

“Not really, but it is on mine, at least for today. I can drive you over, just give me one second to call this in.”

Buffy fetched her purse and hiked it over her shoulder as Dean made a quick business call. When he hung up, he closed the hood securely. 

“Okay, he’s on his way. Got everything you need?”

Buffy nodded. “Um, will my car be okay until he gets here? I don’t have to worry about someone stealing it or anything?”

Dean regarded the beat up car before a laugh erupted from his throat. 

“Well, I think if someone did, they’d be doing you a favor.”

Dean unlocked the passenger door and then circled around to the driver side of his car. Buffy frowned at him as she slipped onto the passenger seat. 

“Hey, I love this car,” she groaned. 

“Then you really should treat it with love,” he replied. “I’m surprised you can still drive it. I wasn’t kidding about those cobwebs.”

Dean gunned the engine and pulled away from the curb. He turned down the volume on the radio as Buffy animatedly shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, I made it all the way here from L.A., so it can’t be in that bad of shape,” she reasoned. 

“We’ll see what my guys say when they run your car through the maintenance tests,” he replied. “But you really should consider trading it in for something more reliable.”

“Well, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me,” she said. “I’m not really used to people going out of their way for complete strangers. I guess it’s that small town mentality, huh?”

“Yeah, people here are very friendly,” he noted. “We don’t have a really big tourist industry so whenever we get new faces it’s kind of a town motto to make people feel welcome.”

Buffy noticed several people on the block waving and smiling at Dean. He gave a casual nod or smile as he drove by. She shifted her eyes around the interior of the car and was highly impressed that every crack and corner was clean and absent of any dust, unlike the mounds of earth that she let gather in her baby. 

“Yes, I certainly get that sense,” she remarked. 

“So why in the world did you want to give up the sunny, mild climate of California for the harsh, cold winters and dustbowl summers of Kansas?”

Buffy drew a breath and bit her lip as Dean eased around another corner. Though she enjoyed casual conversation with new people, she wasn’t too keen on unloading the recent messes in her life to just anyone. She had heard stories of gossip hungry small towns and wasn’t looking to be the topic of discussion over bacon and eggs at the local diner. But there was something about Dean that seemed very honest. He hadn’t come off as the blatant ladies man she had expected from his outright good looks and though he had made a few sharp comments she had sensed the deep humor in his tone and had not taken any offense to them. She was never one to lie but she hadn’t yet known enough about Dean to fully confide her reasons of splitting town. 

“I was just looking for a change,” she said. “And when I started looking for a job, I came upon this position in Kansas and then the thought of you know, Wizard of Oz and Corn Festivals and home baked apple pies just struck me as a charming little town, so I figured, what the heck, try something new and out of my realm of familiarity and comfort.”

Buffy glanced at Dean as he laughed at her answer. It wasn’t a mocking kind of laugh but more of an unexpected amusement. She liked the glint in his eyes and the deep, male tone in his laugh, not to mention the appealing charm of his smile. 

“Well, I’m sorry to have to break it to you that we don’t have anyone here named Dorothy with a little dog named Toto but we are prone to tornados during certain months. As far as the ‘corn festivals’ it’s more like ‘corn festival’ – we have only one once a year when it’s actually decent enough to go outside during the transitional summer to autumn month.”

“Oh, well what about the home baked apple pie?”

Buffy smiled when Dean grinned with delight.

“I’ll give you that one,” he replied. “Sue’s Diner praises itself as having the best selection of home baked pies in all of Kansas. I haven’t tried every one on the menu but the apple is definitely the best I’ve ever had.”

Buffy gave a casual shrug. “I’ll have to see if it’s better than mine because I could give Sue a run for her money.”

Dean drifted out of his memories of sweet and tasty Sue’s Diner pies and glanced at Buffy with intense interest.

“Oh yeah? You bake huh?”

She waved a hand dismissively. “Bake, cook, craft whatever I’m in the mood for but baking I especially like. There’s just something very serene about making a chocolate cream pie from scratch......”

“Chocolate cream, is that your specialty?”

“Well, I can whip up anything. But that’s one of my best, I make a mean apple pie though, so I’m very interested to see how Sue’s fares against mine.”

“Yeah, I’d really be interested to see how it fares too,” he replied. “You know, if you can’t afford repairs on your car I could offer you an ‘apple pie’ payment plan.”

Buffy blinked in disbelief, before she beamed a smile and giggled.

“Oh? Would that be paid in like installments? Like three pies a week until repairs are done?”

She saw his eyes go big with excitement before he mocked an annoyed look.

“A week? I was talking more on the lines of three pies a day until repairs are done.”

Buffy burst into laughter shortly after he did.

“Are you usually this funny with customers?”

“No but most of my customers don’t brag about making a mean apple pie,” he answered cheerfully. “So I figure, I do you a favor and you return it in ten of your best pies.”

She laughed again as he eased into the parking lot of the high school.

“Oh you’re a pie guy huh? I would have pegged you for a ‘cake’ guy.”

Dean shrugged as he pulled into a faculty parking spot.

“As long as it isn’t a carrot or zucchini cake, I’m so a cake guy too.”

“What’s wrong with carrot cake? I kind of like it, you know it’s got cream cheese frosting.”

He cut the engine and gathered his belongings. Buffy climbed out of the car and locked the door behind her.

“I’m a strong believer that vegetables have no business being in desserts,” he said emphatically.

Buffy looked up at his charming expression as they strolled down the walkway toward the entrance.

“Oh I don’t know, I think I could convince you. I make a mean carrot cake too.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it because there’s no way I’m eating it.”

Buffy snickered with amusement as he opened the main door and let her in first. She walked inside and followed along side him as he made his way to the faculty offices.

“Well, thanks Dean for coming to my rescue, I really appreciate not having to be tardy on my first day. You really are quite the hard worker owning an auto shop and teaching.”

“Oh, I’m just subbing today for a buddy of mine who came down with food poisoning.”

“Yikes! I hope he’s okay.”

“Well, if by okay you mean puking the bad curry out of his system then yeah.”

Buffy burst into another fit of giggles at the ease of his humorous remarks. 

“I wouldn’t think Lawrence is known for its curry,” she said.

“It really isn’t,” he confirmed. “He went to this new Indian place that opened up. His girlfriend is really into eating at new restaurants to promote the economy here.”

Buffy eyed the row of faculty offices and the reception desk. The secretary gave Dean a friendly smile as he collected some paperwork. 

“Well, I got to whip some future mechanics into shape,” he said. “What are you teaching here anyway?”

“Oh, I’m a new guidance counselor,” she imparted.

“Oh, well welcome to Lawrence,” he said.

“Thanks for everything and you’ll let me know the bad news about my car?”

“Well, if you’re a glutton for punishment,” he quipped.

She giggled for a minute before she eyed the back offices.

“I’m not really sure where they’re setting me up or what my extension is yet so I guess I’ll just call the number on your card at the end of the day?”

He nodded as he paused at the door. “That’s fine but I tend to check in with my crew before the lunch hour so I’ll swing by here and let you know.”

The door marked Principal swung open and an older man in a tweed coat and glasses stepped out carrying a cup of tea. Dean met his eyes and the two exchanged friendly smiles. Buffy glanced at the name on the door – Rupert Giles. 

“Mr. Winchester, good to see you. Thank you for filling in on such short notice,” Giles replied.

“No problem, always happy to help,” Dean said. “How’s that Citreon running these days? I haven’t seen you in the shop in at least three months.”

“She’s purring like a cat. I really haven’t experienced any problems since you did that extensive maintenance check up.”

“Well, old cars like yours need more tender loving care,” he said. 

Dean nodded toward Buffy.

“This one has a Golf that’s practically on life support.”

Giles shifted his eyes to Buffy and studied her.

“Oh hello, you must be Miss Summers?”

“Yes, was there a picture with my file or am I just a new face?”

“New face,” Giles affirmed. “Please come inside for a minute.”

Giles widened his door as Buffy glanced at Dean. He nodded to her.

“I’ll see you. Good luck shaping the minds of the next generation.”

“Thanks, you too.”

They exchanged warm smiles before going their separate ways. 

 

After a short introductory meeting with Principal Giles, the secretary escorted Buffy to her office. She dropped her purse in the chair and located the faculty lounge. When she walked in, a young redheaded girl flashed her a friendly smile as she poured a cup of coffee into a mug.

“Oh hello, you must be the new guidance counselor. I’m Willow Rosenberg.”

Buffy liked Willow right off the bat. She had a warm smile and kind demeanor. 

“Hi Willow, I’m Buffy Summers,” she replied. “Are you a counselor too?”

Willow shook her head as she leaned against the counter.

“I teach computer science,” she said. 

Buffy nodded as she refilled her mug with coffee. 

“Have you gotten a tour?”

“Mmm no, I was going to go exploring and then I smelled the fresh coffee and got distracted,” she replied. 

“Oh I know what you mean, I’m a sucker for a fresh pot,” Willow said with a smile. “I’m on my way back to lab, I could give you a quick tour if you’d like.”

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

Buffy screwed the top on her travel mug and followed Willow out of the lounge. 

“First and most important, the ladies room,” Willow cooed.

“Ah yes, where I’ve spent many of my teens years channeling my inner drama queen,” Buffy replied. 

Willow drifted into the hall and pointed out various classrooms. 

“So, where are you from?”

“L.A,” Buffy answered. 

“Oh, wow what a change,” Willow replied. “Do you like Kansas so far?”

“Well, at first I was a little intimidated by just how ‘small’ small town turned out to be but the people here are just so friendly and the downtown block is pretty quaint so yeah, I’m liking it so far.”

Buffy strolled around a corner and eyed the vast flyers posted along the walls promoting a variety of activities. 

“And I have the cutest house I have ever seen so I’m looking forward to settling in,” she added.

“Oh, whereabouts do you live?”

“Thirty-fifth and Grand Blvd.”

Willow widened her eyes.   
“Wow, I live on thirty-third and Grand, we’re practically neighbors!”

Willow danced excitedly in her stance.

“Oh my gosh, I have been wanting to meet someone my age who lives close by.”

“Yeah wow, that is great, I haven’t really had the chance to meet any of my neighbors and I’d hope to meet someone my age too. You’ll have to come over for dinner once I’ve unpacked everything.”

“Well, I know unpacking can be a pain so how about I pick up some takeout and drop by tonight and help you?”

“Oh, you don’t have to go to all that trouble.”

Willow waved a hand dismissively. “Nonsense, you’re new in town and I’m sure you’d rather kick up your feet on your coffee table and relax over a tasty dinner than break a sweat relentlessly putting things away. I’d be happy to help you settle in sooner than later.”

Buffy smiled appreciatively. “That’d be so wonderful. Thank you Willow.”

“No problem,” Willow remarked. “If you don’t have lunch plans you are welcome to join me but don’t feel obligated. I know I can come off sounding a little needy sometimes.”

Buffy widened her smile. “I didn’t sense that at all. I love lunch or any meal really so count me in.”

Buffy wandered across campus with Willow and easily fell into conversation with her. Her day was looking brighter by the hour.

 

At a quarter past two, Buffy wandered out of her office to refill her coffee cup. She had spent her entire lunch hour gabbing away with Willow before returning to her office to walk through her email and voice mail systems. As she was fashioning the lid back on her mug, she heard footsteps behind her. When she swung around, she met those delightful eyes again.

Dean popped his head into the faculty lounge and was pleased to have found Buffy before he left for the day. She flashed another enchanting smile.

“Hey, it’s my hero,” she chimed.

“Don’t praise me just yet, I had my guys fax me over an estimate on the repairs to your car.”

Buffy widened her eyes when he showed her a two page list. 

“Uh, wow, so what’s the verdict?”

“Personally, I’d say buy a new car when you get your first paycheck but if you insist on holding on to it, you’re going to be busy with all that pie making.”

Dean ran over the results of the maintenance tests and the list of recommended services. Buffy gasped when she looked at the total.

“Are you kidding? That’s more than my mortgage payment this month!”  
“You’re not obligated to make any repairs, this is just an assessment of services recommended to get your car running more efficiently.”

Buffy steadied herself against the counter. She had a little money saved from up from the sale of her place in L.A. but most of it had gone toward travel and moving expenses as well as the purchase of her new residence. 

“Well, what is the bare minimum I could get away with not taking care of and not have the car blow up in my face?”

Seeing the sincerity on her face, Dean snorted with disbelief. “I have never in my time as a mechanic years ever had a customer ask me that.”

“Well, I’m not your typical customer. Maybe I should reconsider this whole new car thing.”

“Yeah, you really should because the repairs aren’t worth the expense.”

Buffy blinked in shock. “Wow, did you, the owner of an auto shop just tell me you don’t want to rob me blind? I really am liking this town now.”

He let out another brief burst of laughter before he pushed the paperwork into his bag.

“Either way you still need a new radiator, normally I’d just give my guys the go ahead because I’ve worked on practically everyone’s car around here but since I just met you, I thought I’d check and see what you want.”

Buffy shrugged as she took a long sip of coffee. “Um, yeah please, go ahead and replace it. How long do you think it will take?”

Dean glanced at his watch.

“Well, they had a little spurt in business the last hour so I’ll call over there and have them start on it and finish up tomorrow morning. Tell you what, I’ll throw in an oil change for free as a first time customer. I’ll have your car ready for pickup before noon if that works for you.”

“Yeah, that’s great, thank you,” she said. 

“No problem, I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said.

He lingered in the doorway as he took out his phone.

“How’d your first day go?”

“It was good, I don’t have any appointments for a couple days, just going through orientation and a little training so overall, pretty pleasant.”

“That’s good to hear. I got to run so if you have any questions about your car or you need it sooner, just give me a call.”

Buffy nodded as he pivoted and took off. She made a mental note to ask Willow what the story was on Dean. If anything, he seemed like a good guy to know. 

 

At five minutes to three, Sammy spilled out of his classroom and ran toward the entrance of school. He paused on the walkway and watched the cars pulling up to the curb. Several of his classmates filed around him and waited for their parents to arrive. Sammy shifted excitedly in his stance as he watched the street corner for the Impala. 

As cars approached and left, Sammy had a glimmer of fear that despite Dean’s promises, something was going to keep him from showing up. But just as his little mind started to form seeds of doubt, his eyes went big with joy when he saw the distinct hood of the Impala peeking around the corner. In a short minute, the car veered up to the curb. Sammy opened the door, simply beside himself with delight that he had a daddy who kept his promises. 

“Hey Sammy, how was school today?”

Sammy grinned. “It was so cool! We learned about the solar system!”

“Oh yeah? I can’t wait to hear about it over dinner,” Dean replied with cheer. “What do you feel like for eating tonight? I need to stop by the store.”

Sammy scratched his head. “Uh.....spaghetti?”

“Mmm, that sounds delicious but we’ll see if it actually tastes delicious after I attempt to make that.”

Dean chuckled to himself as he pulled away from the curb. Sammy bounced in his seat.

“How was your day.....daddy?”

“It was pretty good Sammy, thanks for asking.”

“Can we have garlic bread too?”

“Uh, okay, I’ll try and make that happen, let’s hope that’s edible too.”

Dean chuckled to himself at his barely competent cooking skills. He tried his best whenever Sammy made a special request and most of the time, his meals came out pretty decent but he would never go as far as claiming he was great in the kitchen. Sufficient was a more accurate claim.

“Can we have pie for dessert?”

Dean drifted back to his pie conversation with Buffy. He was a little nervous by how completely taken he was with her in just a short period of time spending with her. She had exuded a great spirit, had an infectious smile and a genuine warmth in her manner, not to mention her good natured humor. He glanced at Sammy and smiled.

“If it doesn’t take me all night to make dinner, then yeah, we can run out to Sue’s for some apple pie.”

“Yum, I love apple pie,” Sammy cooed. 

Dean dwelled on thoughts of apple pies and Buffy’s engaging boasts of her baking skills. As much as he wanted to get to know her, he was still cautiously optimistic as he was with every girl who caught his attention. Her interest in kids was the main question pressing on his mind and until he knew for sure how she felt, he couldn’t let his apparent attraction cloud his mind from what mattered most to him. 

Dean glanced down at Sammy and smiled.

“Yeah, got to love the pie around here,” he replied. 

Dean blew out a breath as he lingered on his time with Buffy earlier in the morning. If it ended up she wasn’t interested in dating a guy with a kid, he was pretty confident he still wanted to get to know her.

“This has been the best day ever!” Sammy cried in glee.

“Yeah, I’d say it was too.”


	3. A Homerun for Daddy

Buffy strolled out of her office at the end of the school day. She smiled at the receptionist and to Giles as he paused in the doorway. She chatted and walked with him out to the parking lot. She waved goodbye before she turned to the curb and inhaled a deep breath. The air was crisp and cool but not cold. She opted out of hitching a ride home from Willow or taking the bus. 

In the course of a week, she had caught sight of many cute little shops on her commute that she had vowed to drop in when she had some spare time. Now without her car, she decided to hike it home and leisurely browse through the downtown area. By the time she reached her neighborhood with an armful of shopping bags, she had been grateful of the chilly wind cooling her face. She settled her ragged breathing and pushed through her front door. 

After an hour of putting groceries away and tidying up her place, she heard a soft rapping on the door. Buffy shuffled to the door and let Willow in. She gave Willow a brief tour before settling in the kitchen to devour the takeout and delve into more conversation. Willow helped unpack a few of the boxes as Buffy directed her to where she wanted them stored. A short time later, Buffy cut into a pan of brownies and graciously plated a few for Willow.   
Willow took a bite and widened her eyes.

“Oh my goodness, these are wonderful!” she cried. “You are a fabulous baker.”

Buffy waved a hand dismissively. “I whipped those up when I got home, you can borrow the recipe if you want, it’s pretty easy.”

“Oh, that’s okay, I’m not much of a baker,” Willow replied. “I’ll leave that to an expert like you.”

Willow scooped up the chunky crumbs on the plate.

“Say Buffy, is there any way you can whip a batch of these delicious treats for Oz’s Little League game on Saturday? They always have a bake sale to raise money for the team but like I said before, I’m not much of a baker so usually Sue is the only one who provides stuff for the games.”

Buffy cracked a teasing smile. “Oh, isn’t Oz a tad old for little league?”

Willow chuckled for a moment. “Oh, he’s an assistant coach for the Lions team. Anyway, I know it’s kind of last minute but you would really make a killing in sales with those.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, I’d be happy too,” Buffy replied. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to get back into baking. My work schedule in L.A. was really crazy for the past couple of years so it’s nice that this job is a little more flexible. Just tell me where I need to be and the time and I’ll have a bunch of stuff ready.”

Buffy dug up a brownie and she and Willow fell back into conversation. 

 

Sammy bolted out of bed the next morning, happy as could be. He dressed for school and ate his breakfast with wild excitement. Dean eyed him curiously before he pushed off the counter and headed toward the door. Sammy peeled off his chair and snatched up his book bag. 

“You need your jacket, we’re supposed to get a cold front today,” Dean replied. “I’ll warm up the car.”

Sammy nodded and took off up the stairs as Dean went out to the garage. As the garage door swung open, Dean noticed one of his neighbors standing on his driveway. The shapely girl with a brunette bob flashed a flirtatious smile at him as he opened the door to the backseat. Dean swallowed a groan knowing her reputation in the neighborhood and in the town. 

“Good morning Dean,” she cooed. 

Dean let out a low sigh and gave a very small, polite smile. 

“Morning Tess,” he said. 

Tess swayed over to the Impala and leaned against it. 

“Would you be a doll and take a look at my car? I’m having some trouble with it and I’d hate to be late for work.”

She looked at him with hungry eyes.

“Don’t you work from home?”

Tess cocked her head as she got a little closer to Dean. He tossed his bag in the backset and shut the door. 

“Well, I have to run out to my yoga class in the afternoon. So do you think you could take a look at it now? I made a fresh pot of coffee and I have some of those cherry scones from Sue’s.”

Dean drifted toward the driver side door.

“I have to run my kid to school and then I have to go work,” Dean replied flatly. “Just have Owen take a look at it and let me know what the problem is.”

Dean seriously doubted there was anything wrong her car since he had just run a full diagnostic on the Honda last week. He could tell by the twitch in her coquettish smile that something was up. She had moved to the neighborhood four years ago and not too long after, gossip quickly spread through town of her carefree lifestyle. She had gone through two husbands in the past year, always young guys who had substantial economic influence in the town. She discarded men as soon as she got bored and collected on the divorce settlement entitled to her by state law.

Tess waved her hand in a dismissive action. “Oh, he left last night. It didn’t work out.”

“Yeah, it never does with you,” he grumbled low under his breath. 

If he had met her before Sammy came into his life, he wouldn’t have hesitated a second in taking such an overtly confident girl to bed. Even when Sammy was around and she had sacked up with her latest conquest, she was constantly trying to get him alone. But even though he constantly shot down her advances, she still came back around. 

The side door from the kitchen flew open and Sammy ran over to the car. 

Tess threw him a smile.

“Oh hi there Stevie,” she cooed.

Sammy gave a polite wave since he didn’t know who the dark haired woman talking to his dad was. Dean let out a short, exasperated breath.

“His name is Sammy,” Dean replied peevishly.

“Oh right, I knew that.”

Dean cracked the driver side door open and shook his head. Half the time she forgot he even had a kid. 

“I got to run,” he said. 

“Well, what about my car?”

Dean let out another breath as he angled into the driver seat.

“I can have someone run by and take a look at it tomorrow,” he said. “I’m understaffed today.”

“Well, will you at least make it Caleb that you send?”

Tess drew a seductive smile. Dean let out another breath of exasperation.

“He’s off this week. Now I really got to go.”

Tess shrugged as she Dean fired up the car and backed out of the driveway. 

“Who was that daddy?”

Dean glanced with a disapproving frown as Tess finally wandered off his driveway.

“One of our neighbors,” he answered. “She’s only met you once when you were little and that was purely by chance. I didn’t want you around her.”

“Why? Is she bad?”

“Yeah, you could say that Sammy.”

As Dean took a long sip from his coffee mug, Sammy scrunched up his face in thought. 

“Daddy, was my mommy bad? Is that why she is not here? Or is she.......is she dead?”

Dean felt his heart stop for a time when he heard the intently sad tone in Sammy’s voice. 

“This kid in my class says that you have to pick me up every day from school because my mommy is dead and she can’t and that you’re alone.”

Dean was flabbergasted by his awful thought: I want to kill that kid for making Sammy sad.

Dean brushed the thought away and let out a long breath.

“I went over this with you awhile ago Sammy,” he said softly. “Your mom is not dead, she just can’t take care of you the way you deserve to be. So we decided that I would raise you on my own.”

“Well this kid says that everyone should have a mommy and daddy,” Sammy replied. “And he says that I’m weird because I have just you.”

I’m really gonna kill that kid. 

“You are not weird Sammy,” he said firmly. “Not one bit.”

Dean blew out a breath at the difficult subject he had been wrestling with for the past six years. 

“Everyone HAS a mommy and daddy when they are born,” he said. “But not all mommies and daddies are able to be around when their kids grow up. Things just happen and some times a daddy has to raise their kid without a mommy, like I do. It doesn’t mean you are weird, it has nothing to do with you at all. Don’t ever think it’s your fault that you don’t have a mommy.” 

Dean absorbed the blame and responsibility as he eased toward a four way stop. 

“Why can’t I have a mommy? Don’t you want me to have a mommy?”

Dean gripped the steering wheel and blew out a long breath. 

“Yeah of course Sammy, I would love for you to have a mommy who dotes over you and takes care of you and gives you all the love you deserve. You’re actually pretty special Sammy, a lot of kids can’t choose their mommies, but you and I - we have a choice. We don’t have to settle for just anyone. You have to like her and she has to like you not because she wants to be with daddy but because she sees that you are an amazing, smart and caring kid. She should want to be a part of your life because she truly loves you.”

“You have to like her too,” Sam added. “And she has to like you too.”

Dean managed an amused laugh.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much how it works.”

Sammy scratched his head and licked his lips. “So if I don’t like a girl, you won’t make her my mommy?”

“No, of course not,” Dean answered. “You are the most important person in my life and any girl with mommy potential needs to understand and accept that. If she sees how important you are to her, then that’s even better.”

“What if I meet someone at school who I want to be my mommy? Can she wait with me when you come to pick me up?”

Dean rumbled with laughter and shook his head in amusement.

“Wow, my six year old is trying to set me up,” he quipped. 

When he settled down, he noticed Sammy’s wide eyed look. 

“Well, I pretty much know every girl in this town Sammy,” he said. “And I can tell you with great certainty that there isn’t a mommy at your school that would be good for you.”

Dean pulled up to the curb of Sammy’s school.

“Okay kiddo,” he said. “I’ll see you at three as always.”

Sammy gave his daddy a big hug. When he pulled away he shined a grinned.

“I’m going to find us a mommy,” he said. 

Dean chuckled. “Oh yeah?”

Sammy nodded. “And she’s going to love you because you’re the best daddy in the whole world.”

“Only because you’re the best kid in the whole world.”

Dean eyed the crowds of kids heading into school.

“Go on in before you’re late. I’ll see you later.”

Sammy got out of the car and waved to his daddy as he drove away. Yeah, his daddy deserved someone special and he was going to find someone who made him happy too.

 

Later that morning, after a couple of student meetings, Buffy ambled out of her office and ran into Giles. She chatted briefly with him again and liked his informal manner with faculty. Giles eyed the clock and regarded the receptionist.

“I will be running out for lunch now,” he said. 

“On your own today? Where is your wife?” Buffy asked.

Buffy had learned in her friendly conversations with Giles of his daily lunch date with his wife of five years. She always made a point to remember little facts about the people she met and liked.

“Jenny is visiting family,” he answered. “Would you like to go with me? I’m just going to stop by the café at the whole foods restaurant.”

“Oh, I love that place but I brought my lunch,” Buffy replied. “Thanks though, perhaps another time?”

Giles nodded and headed for the door.

“Oh, uh, actually, would you happen to know if the auto shop is any where near that café?”

“Yes, would you like a ride over?” Giles offered.

“I would really appreciate it, I didn’t mind walking to work this morning but I went out into the quad earlier and it was quite chilly.”

Giles nodded. Buffy briefly ran to the lounge to fetch a plain brown container from the fridge before she followed Giles out to the parking lot.

It was a quick ride through the school district as Giles eased the Citreon onto a block lined with industrial buildings. After passing by several small offices, Buffy noticed the sleek black logo painted across a large warehouse space. Giles paused at the curb as Buffy climbed out and thanked him. 

Buffy stepped onto the curb and ambled up to the auto shop. She eyed the Impala parked off to the left of the main lot and was surprised there were only a few other cars in the staff spaces. She heard the whir of mechanical instruments as she strolled by the open garage stations. She was impressed that the mechanics working on the cars merely gave her polite nods and not the usual catcalls or whistles she would have expected from a business full of young men. She breezed through the service office door and noticed the assortment of advertisements dressing the walls. 

The receptionist flagged down a mechanic and Buffy followed him through a long hallway. She exited through a door leading out to another set of work stations. She heard a classic rock tune playing moderately from a portable sound system in the rear of the garage. 

The mechanic pointed to an old Mustang towards the back of the garage. Buffy strolled over and noticed several more old cars parked in the garage, all with their doors or hoods opened. As she neared the Mustang, she caught a glance of Dean hunched over the trunk of the car, working on a busted tail light. 

“Winchester, you got a pick up,” the mechanic called before leaving. 

Buffy took pause for a brief moment as Dean swung a look behind him. 

“Thank god I can get that eyesore out of my garage,” he quipped.

Buffy swallowed a breath when he smiled. She blinked in surprise when she found herself ogling him a little too intently. The jacket he had worn the other day had masked the toned muscle now teasing her through the white tee shirt he had on under an opened  
short sleeved navy button up shirt. 

Good god could he fill out a tee shirt. 

Both of his shirts were smudged with motor oil and grease as well as his hands and he had sheen of sweat on his face. Buffy felt a little unnerved about how much she was drinking in the image of his body hard at work.

“I didn’t think you actually worked on the cars.”

Dean eyed her with amusement as he saw her cheeks flush a little pink. Her curly hair was now straight and pulled into a ponytail prompting his curiosity about her natural style. Her long coat was unbuttoned, displaying a dark green sweater that hugged the curves of her slim figure and accentuated the glow of her hazel eyes. 

“Oh, you thought I just sat around in my cushy office, ordering people around and making money off their hard work? It’s not L.A. Besides, I gave some of my staff the day off since I was out yesterday. I’m a hands-on kind of guy anyway.”

“Oh, well, it’s nice to know that you appreciate a good day of hard work,” she replied. 

“Hard work is how I stay in business,” he noted. “Your car is out back, all ready to go. Please take it away. I’m begging you.”

He let out a laugh as he moved to a computer station and processed an invoice. As the printer spat out the copies, he shuffled to a sink and washed his hands. 

“I uh, like the uh Roadrunner. Did you paint that too?”

Dean glanced back at her as he scrubbed the dirt off his wrists before he shifted his sights to a bright blue car that had the large roadrunner cartoon character painted on the hood. 

“No, I have a specialist that comes in twice a month to do all the paint services,” he replied with a smile. “She’s a show car and when the owner told me he was going to do a little work on it himself, I practically begged him to let me bring it in.”

“Well, it doesn’t look like it needs anything done,” she remarked.

Dean widened his smile. 

“Yeah, she really doesn’t need anything more than a few kinks tightened up. I’m sort of dragging it out because it’s not too often I get a car like that in the shop.”

Dean swiped the paperwork off the printer and pushed through yet another door leading to a small service lot. 

Buffy brightened with a smile when she saw her car. 

“I just need you to sign these and you’re all set.”

Buffy took the clipboard and signed off on the paperwork. She handed the clipboard back to him and eagerly crossed to the driver side. Dean tore off his copy and gave her the duplicates. 

“Usually, I pop the hood and review the service but I’ll spare you the details.”

Buffy flashed a sweet smile. “I appreciate it. Oh, before I forget....”

She reached into her bag and fished out the carton she had taken from the lounge. 

“I made a batch of cupcakes for you, just to say thanks for helping me out.”

Dean lit up as he snatched the carton. Before he flipped the top, he eyed her with suspicion.

“Wait, are these carrot cupcakes?”

Buffy giggled at his apprehensive expression.

“No, but now that you mention it - that would have been a funny surprise. They’re double chocolate fudge.”

Dean gave a gleeful smile as he flipped the top and saw a dozen chocolate cupcakes inside. He picked one out and popped it in his mouth. After half a second, he widened his eyes in delight.

“Holy cow,” he replied. “These are amazing! You weren’t joking about your baking skills.”

He quickly plucked a second helping and bit off a chunk. 

“Wow, what is that filling?”

“Oh, that’s the fudge.”

“That’s damn delicious,” he said. “Now I feel kind of bad I put in a generic brand radiator.”

Buffy swung the door open and climbed inside as the frosty air blew through the interior. Dean reached inside and clicked the ignition on. In a few seconds, the car puttered like a kitten, no smoke or steam billowed from the hood. 

Buffy affectionately rubbed the dashboard when something hit her face. 

“Oh my god,” she gasped. “You fixed my heater? Oh, how much is that going to cost me?”

Dean polished off a third cupcake. “Well, let’s just consider it uh....my civic duty to not let a new resident freeze to death in the upcoming winter months while she bides her time lamenting on whether to upgrade her piece of junk or not.”

Buffy felt her mouth open in awe at Dean’s professional courtesy. 

“Oh, so this is off the books?”

Dean cleared his throat and coughed into his fist. 

“Civic duty,” he muttered.

Buffy snickered softly. 

“Okay, I won’t tell anyone, I swear.”

The same mechanic who guided Buffy through the maze of hallways and garage stations popped his head out the side door. 

Dean turned back to Buffy. 

“I got to get back to work,” he said. “Now I can’t guarantee you aren’t going to have any more problems from now until the time you go home.”

“No, I know I signed off on just the radiator replacement,” she said. “I appreciate everything. Thank you.”

Dean eyed the box of treats. 

“No, thank you, if I knew you were going to bring goodies, I would have held on to your car a little longer.”

He let out a laugh before she gave him another endearing smile. He hung back by the door as watched as she backed her car up and swung out of the lot. 

Buffy eyed Dean through the rear view mirror as he slipped back into the garage. She had completely forgotten to bring him up in her non-stop gab fest with Willow the previous night. Though she really wasn’t actively looking for a relationship or even dating anyone serious at the moment, she wouldn’t have minded a little more time getting to know Dean a little better. He seemed to give off a good vibe and she found herself extremely curious to know what his life was like outside the professional realm. 

Before she bounded around a corner, she glanced at the auto shop in the rear view mirror as her mind numbed with wonder.

“Such a nice guy,” she replied softly. “What’s wrong with him?”

 

Sammy flew through the side door and into the kitchen as Dean set his stuff down on the counter. He dropped the box of cupcakes on the table. Sammy peeked inside the box and widened his eyes in delight.

“Cupcakes! Where did you get those daddy?”

“Uh, one of daddy’s customers brought them in to show their appreciation.”

“Can I have one?”

“Yeah, but after you eat dinner,” he said. 

Sammy moped as Dean glanced at his watch and looked through the fridge.

“Okay, what do you want eat Sammy? Kennedy is coming over in a little bit so she can make you something or I can leave her some money to take you out.”

Sammy eyed his daddy curiously. “Who is Kennedy?”

“Your babysitter,” Dean replied. “Did you forget her name? That’s not like you. Are you feeling okay?”

Sammy nodded emphatically. “I am just happy daddy.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Dean said. “You got some homework to do?”

Sammy nodded as he rummaged through his book bag. 

“Look daddy, I got a hundred percent on my spelling test today.”

Sammy flashed the page at Dean. Dean snatched it up and drew a proud smile.

“Wow Sammy, that is fantastic,” he remarked. “You are so smart. I don’t know where you get it from.”

Dean chuckled as he clipped the page to the fridge with a magnet. 

“Think about what you’re hungry for. I’m going to take a quick shower before I go out.”

“Where are you going?”

“Your Uncle Oz’s house,” Dean answered. “I’m just going to visit with him for an hour or two.”

Sammy scratched his head at the unfamiliar name. 

“Okay,” he said. 

 

A short time later, Dean left the house after Sammy settled into the living room with Kennedy. After a quick drive to Oz’s house and a very short greeting, the two drifted downstairs to the basement to play some pool. About an hour later, Oz set up the next game as Dean finished up his one beer allowance. 

“So what’s new?” Oz asked.

Dean shrugged as he gauged his next shot.

“Not much man,” he said. “Same old, same old....although, I had a 98 VW Golf in the shop the other day, I can’t even remember the last time I’ve seen one of those. Probably not since the YEAR 1998.”

Dean chuckled briefly before he took his shot. 

“Interesting,” Oz remarked succinctly.

Dean eyed the table before he gave an amused smile. Oz was never one to string a line of more than four or five words, let alone a complex sentence.”

“Don’t know a Golf driver,” Oz replied.

“Yeah, belongs to a new girl who moved to town last week.”

“She pretty?”

Oz moved in to take a shot as Dean drifted on his encounter with Buffy earlier. 

“She’s.....stunning,” he said softly. 

“Got a date?” Oz asked.

Dean shifted in his stance as he took a long tug off his beer.

“Well, you know my issues with women man. I don’t really know her too well other than her name and that she works at the school as a guidance counselor.”

Oz showed recognition as he took a sip of beer.

“Buffy?”

Dean blinked in surprise. “Yeah, you know her?”

Oz shrugged. 

“Through Will.”

“Oh, that makes sense with both of them working at the school. So has Willow spent much time with her?”

“They had dinner,” Oz replied casually.

Dean looked hopeful as Oz didn’t elaborate. “Oh yeah? So what do you know about her?”

Oz shrugged again. 

“Will likes her.”

“Okay, and?”

“She likes to bake.”

“Yeah, I got a sample when she came to pick up her car. I’m kind of hoping it breaks down again so I can get some more of those delicious cupcakes she made. Anyway, what else have you heard? Did Willow happen to mention if Buffy likes - you know, kids?”

Oz shrugged.

“Seems to.”

Dean blew out a long breath. Oz’s monosyllabic manner never bothered him too much in the past but in trying to ease his curiosity, he was growing a bit frustrated. 

“What does that mean ‘seems to’? Does she or doesn’t she?”

Oz leaned on the table and shrugged.

“I think she does.”

“Okay, anything else you know?”

“She’s nice - blonde.”

Dean bit back a frown as he tugged the beer bottle.

“Yeah, I kind of get that man,” he replied. “Would it kill you to form more than one sentence? I’m really looking for something to help me figure out if it’s even worth trying to get to know her.”

Oz shrugged once again.

“She likes cheese.”

Dean cocked an eyebrow as he threw Oz an odd look.

“Cheese?”

“Yeah,” Oz answered.

Dean shook his head as Oz wandered over to the small fridge.

“Cheese,” Dean muttered slowly.

“Yeah, want another beer?”

“Nah, I think I’m gonna head home now,” Dean answered. 

Oz nodded and walked him up the stairs to the front door. 

“Okay man, I’ll see ya at the game tomorrow,” Dean remarked.

Oz nodded and patted Dean on the back. 

“Ask her out,” he said.

Dean blinked in surprise at Oz’s rare display of enthusiasm. 

“Uh, we’ll see,” he replied as he pushed through the door.

As he hopped off the porch, Willow was walking up to the door. She waved at Dean as he swept by her. He smiled and gave a two fingered wave as he ambled over to his car. He shook his head at the replay of his conversation with Oz. He was left with even more questions than answers now.

“Cheese,” he grumbled. “Good grief, I’m dying here and all he gives me is ‘she likes cheese’ – what the hell does that tell me?”

Dean heaved a huge sigh as he got into his car and drove away. Willow hung on the porch and eyed Dean as he left. She shifted her eyes to Oz. 

“Did you guys have fun?”

Oz nodded and gave a cool look. 

“He likes Buffy.”

Willow widened her eyes as she walked inside.

“Oh my gosh!” she gasped. “Oh wow, that’s great! He hasn’t dated in like forever! And Buffy would be so perfect for him, they would be so cute together! Oh why didn’t I mention him to Buffy last night when we were gabbing cuz we were gabbing about everything but boys didn’t come up that much but I know she doesn’t have a boyfriend and she’s not dying for one but I know she wouldn’t turn down a date with the right guy and Dean, gosh he’s such a good guy and.....”

Willow struggled to steady her ragged breathing as Oz curled his arm around her. 

“Oh, I have to tell her about Dean when I see her at the game.....you think they’d be good together, don’t you?”

“Yep,” Oz replied. 

Oz steered Willow to the couch as she continued to babble about the potential love match for the next two hours.

 

The following morning, Sammy roused from his bed and skipped down the hall. He found his daddy shuffling around in the kitchen. 

Dean glanced at Sammy still in his pajamas and sighed.

“Come on Sammy, it’s game day, hurry up and eat your breakfast and then get dressed.”

Sammy scratched his head and wondered what his daddy was talking about. He noticed a large bag holding several baseball bats resting against the side door. 

“Baseball,” Sammy replied softly as he dug into his breakfast.

Sammy glanced at his daddy as he poured another cup of coffee. He had a dark green jersey and a baseball cap emblazoned with the team logo: Lions. 

Dean dumped a few drinks in a cooler as Sammy wondered whether he was any good at baseball. He had tossed a ball around only a few times in his life but he never got to swing a bat or run a base. 

A short time later, Dean threw the equipment bags in the trunk as Sammy emerged from his bedroom in his uniform. Dean plopped Sammy’s cap on his head and gave a proud smile. When they were in the car, Sammy shifted in his seat, still stewing with curiosity. 

Dean noticed Sammy’s curious expression.

“What’s on your mind Sammy?”

“Am I on a winning team daddy?”

Dean eyed Sammy with equal curiosity as he steered the car toward the park. 

“Little League games aren’t about playing to win Sammy,” he said. “It’s about having fun. I know that there are a lot of dads who’d rather pressure you to be a champ or a winner but I refuse to be one of those guys trying to relive my glory days through my six year old.”

“You don’t care if we lose?”

Dean chuckled as he answered, “Well, I don’t really like to lose but like I said, you’re on a team of six year olds, it’s kind of ridiculous to badger you kids into the mentality that winning is the only option. These games are about fun and when they stop being fun, no one wants to play anymore.”

A short time later, Sammy eyed the crowds of people and all the kids in uniform. He hung by the door as his daddy unloaded the equipment bags from the trunk. 

Dean hiked the bags over his shoulder and glanced at Sammy.

“Come on kiddo,” he said. “Let’s go have some fun.”

 

Several innings later, Sammy’s team managed to tie up the game with a series of impressive grounders. Sammy shifted in his stance as he watched from the outfield as the opposing team, the Raptors, at bat. The infielders successfully caught the grounders and kept the Raptors from scoring. 

Sammy eyed his daddy in the dugout as the Raptors player hit a high ball into the outfield. Sammy heard his name and swung his eyes up. The ball was heading straight for him. He licked his lips and centered himself before he took off a few feet down the field. 

The ball soared toward him. Sammy kept running, trying to gauge where the ball would descend toward his mitt.

 

Buffy blew out a breath of relief when her car managed to make the trek from her house to the baseball diamond. As she climbed out of the car, she took notice of the mass amounts of people milling around the park and seated in the benches. It seemed that the whole town came out to support the Little League on the weekend. 

She brushed a loose strand of hair from her face as she opened the trunk. After spending a better part of the morning baking, she had hastily dressed in a faded tee shirt emblazoned with her high school logo and a pair of dark jeans. She threw on her coat as she gathered a box of her baked goodies in her arms. 

As she ambled toward the field, she lamented over having pulled her hair back into two French braids since she had no protection against the biting cold blasting her face. She spotted two sets of table strung with a simple sign saying, “Snack Stand” and made her way toward it.

 

Sammy licked his lips again as the ball sailed toward him. He kept his eyes on the ball and ran deeper into the outfield. As he ran furiously, his little feet got caught together sending him stumbling toward the ground. He let out a soft yelp as he crashed to the grass just as the ball flew past his little head. He heard a roar of noise behind him. 

A brief second later, Sammy gathered himself and quickly scooped up the ball in his mitt. When he swung around, he saw the Raptors batter clearing third base and running home. Sammy sighed as the second base player yelled at him to throw the ball. He chucked the ball toward the kid and let out another sigh. In a quick minute, he noticed both teams filing toward their dugouts. 

Sammy shuffled toward the bench and moped. He looked up at his daddy hanging outside the dugout and flashed him a sad look. 

“I’m sorry I missed the ball daddy,” he said. 

Dean patted Sammy on the back and gave him an encouraging smile.

“Don’t be sorry Sammy,” he said. “It happens. Remember what I told you about having fun?”

Sammy nodded.

“Okay, go on and have a seat, you’re up to bat in a little bit.”

Sammy grinned and nodded as he ran toward the bench. Dean went over the batting line up as the Raptors took the field. After a few minutes, Sammy wandered away and headed toward the drink station. He weaved through throngs of teenagers and eyed a table of snacks. He moped when he saw a price list, knowing he didn’t have any money in his pockets. He wondered at that moment if his daddy gave him an allowance. 

Sammy got a drink from a large cooler as a kid from his team skipped up behind him. Sammy tugged on the pump and filled his paper cup. He took a long sip before he refilled his cup.

“Hurry up loser,” the kid barked.

Sammy turned around to see the glaring eyes of his teammate and backed away. 

“Sorry,” he said. 

“You should be, loser,” the kid grumbled. 

Sammy frowned. “I’m not a loser.”

The kid nodded furiously. 

“You’re a loser cuz you missed the ball and now we’re not gonna win. I hate losing!”

Sammy minded his manners and simply finished his drink. As he tried to refill his cup, the kid roughly pushed him aside.

“Stop hogging the drinks, loser!”

“Hey!” Sammy replied.

The kid shoved him again. 

“Loser, loser, loser.”

“Stop calling me that! I am not a loser!” 

“Loser!” the kid yelled.

The kid shoved Sammy down hard to the ground. Sammy stumbled back and lightly knocked his head on the grass.

Buffy let out a long breath as she finally reached the baseball field. She spilled out of another crowd to see a little boy getting rough with another boy. She frowned when the little heckler pushed the other boy to the ground. 

Buffy dumped her box down and quickly trekked over to the boys. She gently held back the bullying boy and looked down at him with disapproving eyes.

“Hey! Hey!” she yelled. “It’s not nice to shove people.”

The little bully gave a defiant frown. 

“I don’t care, we’re gonna lose the game cuz of this loser!” 

Buffy kneeled down in front of the little boy to meet his eyes.

“Games are not about winning and losing, it’s about having fun.”

The boy shook his head and crossed his little arms over his chest. 

“Nu uh, my daddy says games are always about winning,” he barked.

Buffy blew out a breath and frowned. 

“Well, tell your dad he needs to grow up.”

The boy glared at her and spit out his tongue before running off into a crowd. Buffy shook her head as she eyed the little brunette boy on the ground. 

Sammy sat up and rubbed the back of his head as a blonde girl around his daddy’s age wandered over to him. She gave him a friendly smile. 

“Hi, are you okay sweetie?”

Sammy liked the sparkle in her green eyes, they were just like his daddy’s. 

“Yeah, um, I just bumped my head a little.”

Buffy widened her warm smile as the little boy got to his feet. 

“Well, I know just the cure for a bump on the head,” she said. 

She reached into her box and fished out a brownie wrapped in plastic.

“A fudgy brownie,” she cooed. 

Sammy widened his eyes in glee as she handed him a brownie. He tore into the brownie, chocolate fudge and crumbs caking his face. Buffy giggled at the delight on his face as she reached into her box and pulled out a napkin. 

“My daddy says games are about having fun too,” Sammy remarked as he took the napkin.

“Oh, well your daddy is a smart guy,” she replied.

Sammy chomped away at the brownie and smiled at the nice girl.

“My name is Sammy.”

Buffy smiled at Sammy. 

“Hi Sammy, I’m Buffy.”

Dean watched little Jack Harris sliding into third a few seconds before the Raptors base player caught the ball. The ump shook his head and whistled.

“Out!” he yelled.

Dean frowned and charged toward the ump. 

“What?! Are you blind old man? He was practically camping out on that base before the ball ever hit the mitt!”

The ump flipped the guard of his helmet up and flashed an authoritative glare. 

“Out!” 

Dean shook his head as he narrowed his eyes on the short, bald man with beady little eyes.

“Come on Snyder” Dean groaned. “You are just being ridiculous. I could make a better call from the next county!”

Snyder glared up at Dean and huffed his chest. 

“One more word Winchester and I’ll throw you out of the game,” he replied snidely. 

“You got to be kidding me,” Dean groaned. “It’s friggin’ little league man, you can’t throw your weight around here like you do at the grade school. Come on.”

 

Buffy watched over Sammy as the crowds thickened around her. 

“Why don’t I walk you back to your daddy? I just need to set these up first.”

Sammy walked with Buffy over to the snack stand.

“My daddy is the coach!”

Buffy eyed him with a smile. “Oh yeah? That’s cool that you get to spend time with him like that.”

Sammy noticed Buffy taking out several things from the box. He reached in with little arm and started helping her.

“Oh Sammy, you’re so sweet for helping me,” she said. “Thank you!”

Sammy grinned, “You’re welcome.”

Sammy looked at the endless assortment of treats inside the box. He widened his eyes in wonder.

“Did you bake all of these?”

Buffy nodded. “Yeah, it’s been awhile since I’ve baked this much. I’m not too sure if those brownies came out – what do you think? Are they any good?”

Sammy nodded. “You should make them all the time!”

Buffy giggled at Sammy’s endearing smile. “Well, only if you’re going to eat them all the time.”

Sammy laughed and nodded. “Oh, I love to eat. My daddy does too.”

Sammy really liked how Buffy treated him the way his daddy did. He watched her in fascination as Buffy talked to the cashier at the snack stand. 

Buffy put out a plate of cookies and glanced at Sammy.

“You like chocolate chip Sammy?”

Sammy grinned and nodded. Buffy looked around before she leaned in and whispered to him.

“Well, I think I made this cookie too big, so, you take it.”

Sammy licked his lips and took the giant cookie. 

“I’m sorry,” Sammy replied. “But I’m okay, Buffy was watching me.”

Dean blinked a few times in surprise. 

“She was?”

Sammy nodded as he tugged on his daddy’s hand. He guided Dean to the snack table as Buffy had a huge line of customers. 

“Buffy! Buffy!” Sammy called.

Buffy gave a smile as she handed out change to someone before she shifted her eyes to Sammy. 

“This is my daddy,” Sammy replied. 

Buffy blinked in surprise as the reality of Dean’s situation sunk in. The two regarded each other for a long moment before Sammy eagerly made an introduction.

“Daddy, this is Buffy,” he said.

Dean absorbed the moment, not having been prepared to reveal the facts of his life to Buffy in this manner. 

“Yeah uh, we’ve met Sammy,” Dean remarked. 

Dean eyed the line of people before he noticed the assortment of baked goods on the table. Buffy was barely able to cash people out quickly enough.

“Wow, you’re making a killing,” he said. “I haven’t seen a turnout like this in a long time.”

 

“She gave me brownies and a cookie daddy,” Sammy noted.

“Oh, well, how much do I owe for that?”

Buffy blew out a breath as the line finally died down. She closed the cash box and shifted her eyes back on Dean and Sammy.

“Oh no worries,” she said. “I wanted Sammy to have them after what that kid did.”

“What kid? What happened?”

Buffy quickly recalled the shoving incident with Dean. He frowned with disapproval. 

“Can you point this kid out to me?”

“Um, yeah, sure.”

Buffy wandered closer to the field. Dean held onto Sammy’s hand as he ambled along side Buffy. He eyed her with great interest as she and Sammy exchanged smiles. Sammy had taken to her right away but Dean wondered just how genuine her affection toward his son was. Girls always seemed to put on a show once they learned about Sammy, primarily just to get on Dean’s good side but eventually he found their interest waned after a time. 

Buffy scoped out the kids on the bench and pointed out the bully to Dean. He sighed in recognition and shook his head.

“I should have known,” he said. “His dad, Percy, was a varsity football champ back in high school.”

Buffy nodded with acknowledgment. “Oh, the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree huh?”  
“No, unfortunately. I can’t tell you how many times Percy has tried to chew me a new one for not driving the whole ‘be a champ’ speech into these kids.”

“Well, they’re six,” she reasoned. “Six year old boys just want to play baseball and eat pizza and cookies afterwards.”

Dean noticed Buffy had shifted her eyes to Sammy to smile affectionately at him.

“It’s about having fun, right Sammy?” she asked.

Sammy nodded. “I’m having fun.”

“That’s great,” Buffy replied. 

Dean heard whistles from the field. He eyed Oz who was signaling to get his attention.

“We got to get back, Sammy’s almost up to bat.”

Buffy nodded. 

“Buffy, are you going to stay and watch me play?”

Buffy beamed another smile. 

“Of course, I heard what a fantastic player you are and that’s why I came, to see you sweetie. I’ll be watching from here.”

Buffy eyed another growing line at the snack table. 

“Oh, I’m in big demand today,” she said.

Dean pivoted toward the bench and paused for a second.  
“I guess we’ll uh, see you afterward?”

Buffy nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think this crowd is gonna die off anytime soon.”

She gave Dean a warm smile before he headed back to the bench with Sammy. Sammy waved emphatically at her. Buffy waved back. 

 

Dean gave Sammy an encouraging pat on the back as he went up to bat. Sammy was really nervous but heard his daddy’s supportive words and was determined to try his best. 

The first swing was out. The second was a ball. Sammy shifted his eyes to his daddy who gave him some advice. Sammy eyed the ball as the pitcher wound up to throw. 

Dean glanced very briefly toward the snack stand. He was surprised to see Buffy hanging by the fence, watching Sammy at bat. Not once did she regard Dean. He was thoroughly impressed that she was following through on her claims to Sammy. 

Dean heard the clink of a bat making contact. He shifted his eyes to Sammy and grinned. Sammy hit a double play just shy of the outfield. Dean clapped and whistled as Sammy took off toward first base. Sammy glanced at his daddy who was signaling him to take second. Sammy flew down the field toward the base. He started to head for third when Dean whistled at him to hang back. Sammy nodded as Dean cheered and applauded him. 

Dean glanced over at the snack stand as another large crowd dispersed. He observed the conversation going on between Buffy and Percy. After a few seconds, he let out a breath of disappointment as Percy closed in on her like a predator eyeing its prey. Several teenagers stitched around the table and blocked his view. 

He let out another sigh as his mind lingered on what was going on behind the wall of people. He had noticed Buffy’s Hemery High Cheer Squad tee shirt and knew that a guy like Percy would have pounced on the opportunity to chase after a former cheerleader. 

He had no idea whether she liked jocks but he had assumed a girl on the squad particularly eyed athletes. Although he had felt the chemistry brewing between them and had seen her affectionate manner with Sammy, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was reading more into her genuinely warm nature. 

Dean glanced at Sammy hanging out on second base. He had such a big heart and had grown so attached to Buffy within a short time. He silently cursed himself for not prying more information out of Oz or badgering Willow for the scoop. If Buffy turned out to be just a girl being nice to him and his kid because that was the way she was raised, if she wasn’t interested in sharing a life with a single dad, if she wasn’t true in her promises to spend time with Sammy, he was going to be in for another heartbreaking conversation with the kid.

Dean eyed home plate as Sammy crossed over it and headed back to the base. He noticed Sammy waving to Buffy and her smiling and waving back. She didn’t seem the type to just lead people on but he didn’t have enough information to ease his mind. 

A short time later, the field flooded with crowds taking their kids home. Dean gathered up the equipment bags as Sammy darted over to the snack stand. He watched as Sammy eagerly helped Buffy clean up. He paused in his step when Buffy ruffled the top of Sammy’s head and beamed a warm smile. 

Dean blinked several times in awe as he drew in a deep breath. After he let the image settle, he ambled over to the snack stand as Sammy helped pack things away. Buffy met his eyes as he stopped by the table. 

Dean looked over the minimal selection left and sighed in disappointment. 

“Looks like you got cleaned out,” he said. “Too bad, I was hoping I’d get to sample some more of your baking ability.”

Buffy noticed his genuine disappointment and dipped into her box. 

“Oh, I guess it’s a good thing I saved a plate for my favorite player’s coach, huh?”

Buffy revealed a paper plate piled with various baked treats. Dean lit up as she handed him the plate. 

“Wow, thanks,” he said. 

Sammy was hopping to dig into the treats.

“Can we eat some now daddy?”

“No, not now Sammy, after you eat,” Dean replied gently. 

Dean hitched his eyes behind him when he heard a distinctive whistle. He spotted Oz with a bunch of the team waiting in the parking lot. He turned back to Buffy.

“We should get going. I always treat the kids to pizza after the game.”

Sammy tugged on his daddy’s jacket. 

“Can Buffy come too daddy? Please?”

Dean looked down at the extreme hope on Sammy’s face before he set his eyes back on Buffy. He gave an awkward smile. 

“Uh, it’s up to you, don’t let a six year old take you away from whatever plans you have for the day.”

Buffy gathered up her stuff and gave a receptive smile. 

“I’d love to,” she said. “I was just going to spend hours boring myself to death with paint chip options anyway. Where do you go for pizza?”

“The Pizza Arcade, a few blocks from here,” Dean answered. “You can follow us if you want.”

“Yeah, I’d prefer it, I still haven’t really acquainted myself with where everything is in town yet.”

Sammy eyed his daddy as he walked along side Buffy to the parking lot. 

“Oh, the girl at the snack stand said that I should give you all the proceeds,” Buffy remarked. 

She dug out a thick wad of cash and handed it to Dean. He widened his eyes in amazement.

“Wow, you really did make a killing. You should consider starting your own business.”  
“I kind of thought about it once,” Buffy admitted. “But my life got so hectic in L.A. and I was barely home to even use my oven and that idea just sort of drifted away.”

Buffy stopped at her car. Sammy eyed Buffy and smiled.

“Can I ride with Buffy daddy?”

Dean glanced at the Golf before he regarded Sammy.

“Uh, I think you’ll be safer riding with me Sammy.”

Dean chuckled as Buffy frowned lightly.

“Hey, I thought the best mechanic in town gave my car the seal of approval.”

Dean looked around the parking lot. “Uh, who might that mechanic be? Because I’ve told you the best thing you can do with that car.”

Buffy tossed her things in the trunk.

“We’ll see you over there,” Dean said. 

Buffy nodded and waved to little Sammy as he walked away.

 

A short drive later, Buffy caught up to Dean and Sammy inside the pizza parlor. The team ran around the parlor sampling the various arcade games as the adults settled down at a long table. When the pizzas came, Buffy helped divvy up slices and passed them out on plates along with refilling glasses. 

Dean took notice as Buffy checked on each kid, refilling their cups or handing them another piece of pizza. She was exceptionally attentive to Sammy, sitting down to eat with him when he asked her to. 

Though the parlor was flooded with a variety of noises, Dean heard clips of dialogue between Buffy and Sammy as he went around to the kids and handed out coins for the arcade games. 

“So what’s your favorite subject Sammy?”

Sammy scratched his head. “Mmm, I like math and science.”

“Oh, that’s cool, I liked art, oh and NAP time was my absolute favorite,” she said.

“We don’t have nap time.”

Buffy feigned a shock look. “What? That’s outrageous! I’m going to file a complaint with your school.”

Sammy snickered. “You’re funny Buffy.”

“Funny Buffy? Oh great, I guess that’s better than “weird Buffy” – huh?”

Sammy snickered again as he devoured his pizza. Buffy giggled at Sammy’s sauce caked mouth. She fished a bunch of napkins and dipped them into her water glass. She wiped his mouth clean and rubbed the top of his head just as Dean paused. He eyed Buffy with complete amazement before his sights drifted to Sammy.

“Here you go Sammy,” he said. 

Dean dropped a chunk of coins in Sammy’s hand.

“What should I play daddy?”

“Whatever you want kiddo,” Dean answered. “I saw that your favorite race car game is open right now. Why don’t you start there and make your way around the arcade?”

“Okay,” Sammy replied.

Sammy peeled off his seat and grinned at Buffy.

“Wanna play Buffy? It’s my treat.”

Buffy gasped in amusement and giggled. 

“I would love to,” she said. 

Sammy took her hand and tugged her into the arcade as Dean watched in awe. 

 

Later, Dean settled down at the adults table and kept an eye on the arcade floor. He expected Buffy to bail out on Sammy after a few minutes but after a half hour, she animatedly encouraged him to play each arcade game he showed mild interest in. If she didn’t play with him, she watched him play with warm enthusiasm and patted him on the back when he did well. 

When Sammy got to his favorite racing game, he asked Buffy to play with him. She climbed into one of the cars and looked up at a huge screen mounted on the wall. Sammy weaved in and out of lanes with grace as Buffy barely made it through before crashing. She threw her hands over her face and lamented as Sammy comforted her with supportive words. Dean was in complete shock and awe by the time Sammy returned with Buffy in tow.   
“Daddy, I ran out of coins,” Sammy moaned.

Dean glanced at Buffy’s delightful smile as he dug into his pocket. He dropped more coins in Sammy’s hand. 

“Want to play some more Buffy?” Sammy asked.

Buffy crouched down and smiled. 

“Maybe a little later Sammy. You’ve exhausted me!” 

Sammy nodded as Buffy watched him gleefully return to the arcade. She let out a long breath as she took a seat across from Dean at the adults table. 

Dean studied her angelic smile as she observed Sammy in the arcade. After a few minutes, she turned her eyes to the table and poured herself a glass of water. 

Buffy took a long sip from her glass when she noticed Dean watching her in reflective silence. Until now, she hadn’t been able to talk to Dean alone since learning he had a child. It had made total sense now why he came off like such a dedicated hard worker. She had noticed how encouraging and supportive he had been with the kids, despite losing the game. He was also extremely caring and concerned when it came to Sammy’s well being, always checking on him and making sure he was happy. 

Good guy, good dad, good business man. 

Buffy gulped when she saw Dean gazing at her some more. She hadn’t seen a girl flocking around Dean or watching over Sammy so she assumed she wasn’t around for whatever reason. She didn’t want to bring it up, not knowing how sensitive a subject Sammy’s mom was. She thought it best to break the ice with something a little more light and unexpected.

“So um Dean, can I ask you a question?”

Buffy leaned toward him and lowered her tone.

“Is Sammy single cuz’ I kind of have a crush on him. Do you think you can hook me up?”

Dean blinked in surprise before he burst into laughter. Feeling the awkwardness between them quickly fading away, he relaxed and feigned a suspicious expression.

“You know, they do have laws about that kind of thing,” he cracked. 

He chuckled for another few seconds before her infectious smile silenced him. 

“He’s an amazing kid Dean,” Buffy exalted. “You did a fabulous job with him.”

Dean heard the deep sincerity in her tone and smiled. 

“Thanks,” he said. “He really likes you.”

Buffy glanced into the arcade and spotted Sammy before she shifted her eyes to Dean and flashed a sweet smile.

“Well, I like him too, although it’s not hard, he’s really sweet and intelligent for a six year old. You can sit and have a real conversation with him and not question whether he’ll understand you or not.”

Dean nodded. “Yeah, he’s one of the smartest kids in school. I don’t where he gets it from.”

Buffy waved a hand dismissively. “Oh hush, don’t knock yourself like that. You’re a smart guy too, I mean, you put car engines together, not everyone can do that.”

Dean shrugged and gave a modest smile. “It’s the only thing I know how to do.”

“No, you also know how to be a great dad,” Buffy added. “And coach a baseball team without letting that petty “be a winner” stuff get in the way. You know that kid’s dad? The one that pushed Sammy?”

“Percy?”

“Yeah, he had the nerve to give me a lecture about not telling his kid that it’s okay to lose,” she replied. “And then to top it off, he HIT on me! He was like, ‘oh’ you were a cheerleader and I was a jock and we should ‘you know’....and I was like, no, I didn’t then, and I’m not now.” 

Dean processed this bit of information as he checked briefly on Sammy.

“You weren’t into jocks back in high school?”

“Not so much,” Buffy replied. “I don’t really like boneheads.”

There was something so endearing by her answer that Dean found himself breaking into laughter. Sammy returned to the table and eyed Buffy and his daddy talking. He shined a smile. 

“Hey Sammy, are you having fun?” Buffy asked.

Sammy nodded. “Will you come to all of my games?”

“If you tell me when, I’ll be there,” she said.

“Will you bake more treats too?”

“For my favorite player, absolutely. Any special requests sweetie?”

Sammy licked his lips. “Chocolate cake?”

Dean eyed Sammy. “Don’t be greedy Sammy, the goodies are for the people, not just you.”

“No, no,” Buffy replied casually. “I have a couple dozen mini cake pans so I can whip up a few chocolate ones for his next game.”

Dean blinked in surprise. “Oh, wow, you really don’t need to go to all that trouble. You’ve made enough money for us to last the reason of the season.”

“I’d be happy to do it,” Buffy said. 

“Oh well in that case, I’m requesting a couple of those too,” he cracked.

Buffy snickered as she shined back a smile. “Oh, of course, anything for my favorite team.”

By the late afternoon, kids filed out of the parlor. Buffy hung back and cleaned up the table as Dean and Sammy said goodbye to the various kids and parents. When she finished cleaning up, Dean and Sammy walked her to her car. 

“Well that was so much fun,” Buffy replied. “Thank you Sammy for inviting me.”

Sammy grinned with delight. “Thank you for giving me sweets.”

“Oh, well it’s my belief that only sweet kids get sweet treats,” she said. 

She flashed him an affectionate smile. 

“Can I hug you goodbye Buffy?”

“You better or I’m going to complain,” she said.

Buffy kneeled down as Sammy threw his little arms around her. When she straightened, she glanced at Dean who had watched her in another reflective moment of silence. 

“I’ll see you around,” she said. 

“Yeah, I’ll uh, make sure you get a game schedule,” Dean replied with a smile.

“Okay, bye guys,” she said. 

Dean and Sammy hung on the curb and watched Buffy as she climbed into her car and drove away. Sammy waved emphatically for a long moment. Buffy winked at him and smiled just before she left the lot. Dean kept his eyes on the car until it disappeared down the block.

Wow. 

When Dean finally tore his eyes away from the street, he glanced down at Sammy who was grinning from ear to ear. He gently ushered Sammy over to the car.

“Can we see Buffy again daddy?”

“She said she’d come to your next game, so yeah, I’m sure we will see her again. You really liked her, huh?”

Sammy nodded. “She’s funny and played games with me and asked me about school and she smells like cookies!”

Dean chuckled. “Oh, well I can see why you like her, who wouldn’t like a girl that smells like cookies?”

“Do you think she’s pretty daddy?”

Dean settled down in his amusement as Sammy looked up at him in wonder.

“Yeah, she’s a pretty girl Sammy.”

“Was she nice to you?”

“Yeah, she was very nice to me, but she’s a nice person in general.”

Dean unlocked the doors and waited for Sammy to get in before he circled to the driver side. 

“Do you like her too daddy?”

Dean blew out a breath and the wealth of questions Sammy was laying on him. He expected the light interrogation based on Sammy’s fondness of a girl like Buffy.  
“Well, I don’t know her all that well Sammy, but from what I’ve seen today, I like what I saw.”

“So you’ll make her my mommy?”

Dean blinked with shock for a long moment.

“Well, it’s a little too early to be considering that Sammy,” he said. “Daddy needs to......spend a little more time figuring out if she’ll be right for you.”

“But I like her daddy, and you like her, so why can’t you just make her my mommy?”

“Wow Sammy, you’re really hitting me hard with this,” Dean remarked lightly. “Let’s give it some time, okay? I mean, daddy really hasn’t spent much time with her other than a few minutes at the arcade.”

Sammy scratched his head. “Oh, you mean she has to pass a test before she can be my mommy?”

Dean chuckled. 

“Uh, yeah I guess you could say that.”

Dean eyed Sammy’s growing disappointment. He eased out a heavy sigh.

“She’s friends with your Uncle Oz’s girlfriend so maybe the four of us will get together some night soon or I’ll drop in on her at work and see if she wants to have lunch, just let daddy sit with this for awhile because she has to be the complete package for both you and me, okay?”

Dean ruffled the hair on top of Sammy’s head and smiled. Sammy slowly nodded.

“She’d be a good mommy,” Sammy said.

Dean blew out a breath as he turned toward his house.

“I hope so Sammy,” he said. “I really do.”


	4. Little Cupid

The next afternoon, Buffy met up with Willow on the steps of City Hall to fulfill their mandatory festival duties as town residents. There were several participation sign up sheets taped to the main door asking for a variety of services, from food, crafts to music and retail promotions. Buffy peeled through the pages and eyed the food vendors signed up so far.

“Hmm, there is a Bratwurst stand, a spicy bratwurst stand, a bratwurst and cabbage soup stand....bratwurst on a stick stand?”

“It is Oktoberfest,” Willow reasoned.

“Well, Oktoberfest is traditionally a Bavarian celebration. I believe they serve weisswurst, not bratwurst,” Buffy remarked.

Willow flipped through the pages. “Well, we don’t have any Bavarians here in Lawrence and the butcher who provides all the meat for the festivals is German and he puts all the bratwurst on special the week of Oktoberfest, so thus, bratwurst bonanza.”

“Yeah there really aren’t any non-bratwurst stands. I think I’ll have a hot sandwich stand for those that aren’t one with the bratwursts.”

“Mmm, that sounds really yummy,” Willow replied. 

“What are you going to sign up for?”

“Oh Oz and I are going to run a wood crafting station. It’s a hobby of his.”

“That sounds fun,” Buffy remarked. “Shall we get lunch now?”

Willow nodded and led the way to Ellen’s Family Restaurant. The temperature was fair but not cold so the girls took their lunch to go. Buffy followed Willow to a small park across from City Hall. She frowned with great wonder when she noticed a large banner strung across the front of City Hall reading : OktoHarCorFestival this week!

“Huh? Hard Core festival of what?”

Willow followed her sights. “Oh it’s the Harvest and Corn Festival this week too.”

Buffy nodded in acknowledgment. “OH. Wow, you really do have a lot of festivals here.”

“Yeah, there is like a pocket of time during the fall months when it’s actually decent for the tourist crowds, so the town just crams it all into the same week to save money. We reuse a lot of the stands and displays and the banners of course.”

“Hence the smooshing,” Buffy noted. 

“Yeah, there are only a handful of those cause the place that makes them charges by the letters so we have the “Winter-Xmas-Kah” festival and the “Valet-Easter-Sprig Festival”

“Don’t you mean spring?”

Willow shook her head as she slipped onto a park bench.

“No, Percy’s parents put that one out so fast before anyone caught that there was no ‘n’ and they cost too much anyway so hence, it is now “sprig” festival.”

Buffy hitched her head back and laughed. They dove into their lunches before conversation picked up again.

Willow replied. “OH, gosh, let me apologize for not being at the game yesterday. I had this horrible debacle with the washer and dryer, I won’t get into but it got ugly, so I didn’t mean to bail on you.”

Buffy waved a hand dismissively. “Oh no worries, I actually had a lot of fun.”

Willow drew a smile. 

“Yeah Oz told me you met Sammy. Sooooooooooo, you must have met Dean, right?”

Buffy drew a bashful smile. “Yeah, I met Sammy. He’s such a great kid.”

Willow nodded emphatically. “He’s the best, the smartest kid in his school! I can’t wait to get my hands on him. In a teacher-student kind of way I mean.”

Buffy giggled for a bit.

“So, what did you think of Dean?”

“Oh um, I’ve met him before I knew that he had a kid, he was the one who helped me out with my car. Anyway, I figured he was a nice guy, hard worker, easy on the eyes....what’s wrong with him? Then I found out about Sammy, not that there’s anything wrong with a guy having a kid, I just mean....god I am babbling, sorry.”

Willow finished chewing her food before she shook her head. 

“No, I’m the queen of babble. Babble away. Are you interested in you know, dating him?”

Buffy flushed a beet red as she sipped her soda. 

“Um, is he dating anyone?”

Willow shook her head. “No, he’s pretty busy with his business and raising Sammy and coaching Little League, he hasn’t really dated anyone seriously. Plus, he’s kind of picky.”

“Well that makes sense having Sammy around, I mean, kids get attached to people and they don’t understand when that person just suddenly goes away,” Buffy reasoned. 

“You would be so perfect for him,” Willow blurted.

Buffy blushed another degree of red. “Well, um, I don’t know a great deal about him.”

“But do you like what you know so far? Are you interested in him? Cause you really would be great for him.”

Buffy shifted in her seat as she tugged on her straw. 

“Well, um, it depends on whether he’s interested in me, I mean, he wasn’t really the flirty type the past couple of times I’ve seen him not to say that I like guys who come on really strong it’s just....”

Buffy heaved a sigh as she set her drink down. 

“I kind of have a history of bad dating experiences that’s sort of made me gun shy at starting anything new right now. You see, I have this theory that the better looking the guy, the worse that ‘third date’ ….um, ‘you know’ is, at least from what I have been through in the past. So, when I look at Dean and I’m grading him on the hotness factor, he’s like off the charts so I’m wondering where he falls on that whole ‘bad third date’ scale.”

“Well, maybe you can break the pattern,” Willow replied optimistically.

“I don’t know, sometimes I don’t really trust my judgment.”

“Really? How bad could it have been? Are we talking lousy communicators or egotistical skirt hounds?”

Buffy drew a humbling smile. 

“Well, the first guy was Angel, he was tall, dark and handsome, oh and brooding. I met him a couple of months after I started working at the youth center, he was a foster dad for one of the troubled teens, anyway, I’d see him at work a lot and one day he asked me out for a coffee date, that led to a pasta date and then a dinner slash bad third date. I was um.....well, he was my first so it didn’t really go that well, it hurt a lot and I was sore for like a week and a half afterwards and it was really quick. Anyway, about a week later, he asked me out again and because I liked him a lot, I accepted and we ended up at his house and tried to – you know....”

Willow scooted closer to Buffy, completely engrossed in her confession. 

“And?”

Buffy gulped. “And it was...horrible again – not at first but the longer it went on, the worse it got, I mean, he um....he tried to bite me a couple of times – and NOT lightly may I add. So I asked him nicely to stop and he said he got off on trying to bite me until I bled so that’s when I bolted.”

Willow widened her eyes as she stuffed a fry in her mouth.

“Wow,” she gasped.

“Yeah, anyway, he stopped coming around the youth center so I didn’t have to run into him there......until a couple months later I crashed into him at my coffee shop.”

Willow winced, “Oh awkwardness.”

“Yeah, especially since he was with his ex girlfriend Darla who was about eight months pregnant.”

“Yikes,” Willow moaned. “Way awkward.”

“Yeah, that’s putting it lightly. So, that was the first of my bad luck,” Buffy lamented. “After that was Spike, I met him at the bar across from my work. He came in one night and we just started talking and I got caught up in his accent and that he played the fiddle in an Irish folk band called “The Bloody Bastards”. So we had a ‘pub date’ and then a ‘club date’ and then the dreaded bad third date. I went home with him and things were going okay and then after a few minutes he started shouting at the top of his lungs a line of curse words, some I’d never even heard of, over and over until he um, you know so that was quick and WEIRD. And to make it weirder, when I went home the next morning, I found some dead rats on my doorstep about an hour later with a note saying “Die Bitch”.”

Willow shrieked. “Oh my goodness! Did you find out who left it there?”

Buffy gulped as she nodded. “The day after that, I was walking out of my apartment and this crazy chick with kooky eyes threw a bucket of pig’s blood at me and started cussing me out. So I called the cops on her and it turned out she was Spike’s biggest fan but she’s totally mentally disturbed, just stalking him everywhere he went - Drusilla was her name I think – she was obsessed with him and had stalked all of his previous girlfriends. So they arrested her and took her away.”

“Wow,” Willow replied as she sucked down some soda.

Feeling her hunger dissipating from the wash of glum memories, Buffy closed her takeout container and set it aside. 

“A few months after that, even though I had pretty much sworn off of dating, I met this guy Parker, he started working at the youth center with me. He was really nice and way cute and I found myself liking him. We had a ‘picnic date’ then a ‘pizza date’ and then that dreaded third bad date. We went back to my place after an ‘ice cream’ date....”

Willow bounced in her seat, wild with curiosity. 

“And?! Was it bad again?”

Buffy winced as the memory replayed vividly in her mind.

"Uh that's not even close to describing it, he asked me to....put my finger in his....well a VERY inappropriate place and then he wanted to know if I had a......strap on....so I kicked him out and showered for like an hour and when I came out I caught him wearing one of my black dresses and my favorite pair of sling backs..."

“Ohhhhhhh.”

“Yeah, can you believe he had the nerve to ask me if he that outfit made him look fat?!”

Buffy drew a sigh. 

“And that concludes my ‘hot guy-bad date’ theory.”

Willow drew an optimistic expression. 

“Well, Dean could be different. I mean, Oz and I have known him since we moved here, about four years - and he’s a pretty solid guy. There isn’t anything weird or freaky about him that I know of and I’ve never caught him wearing my shoes.”

Buffy snickered a little. “That’s good to know.”

Willow looked at her eagerly. 

“So, do you like him?”

Buffy snickered some more until Willow drew a sheepish look.

“Am I being pushy? I’m sorry it’s just - I really think you would be so good for Dean. I mean, you like to bake and cook and he loves to eat. And he’s got Sammy and you’re good with kids. So, I just think it would be great.”

Glancing at her watch, Buffy rose to her feet, stuffing her takeout in her bag.

“I’m not really campaigning for a boyfriend....”

“But if Dean asked you out you wouldn’t say no, right?”

Buffy drew a shy smile.   
“Well, no, I don’t think I’d say no. I really would like to get to know him a little more,” she confessed.

“Oh! This so great! Maybe you’ll see him at Oktoberfest, the whole town is gonna be there and you’re making hot sandwiches and Dean LOVES sandwiches so this is an amazing match!”

Willow grew excitable as they strolled back through the park. Buffy giggled at her new friend’s enthusiasm before they settled into a different conversation.

The downtown district was littered with colorful lights and décor promoting the annual Oktoberfest. Food and craft stands lined the street while petting zoos, pet adoptions and pony rides filled various parking lots. Theme music blared through the outdoor speakers as walls of residents and tourists flooded the streets. 

Sammy widened his eyes at all the wonderful sights. Dean tightened his grip on Sammy’s hand as he tugged him through a throng of beer drinking folks. 

“Daddy! Ponies! Ponies! Can I ride the pony?”

Dean eyed the makeshift corral manned by the town’s Sheriff, Bobby Singer. The line for the pony rides was excessively long. 

“In a bit Sammy, I need to check in with my station and then we can ask your Uncle Bobby to let you ride.”

Sammy brightened with a smile.

“Uncle Bobby’s here?”

“Yeah, everyone in town is here Sammy.”

Dean weaved through several crowds before spilling out into an empty parking lot. A small table was draped with a banner emblazoned with his business logo. A few of his mechanics were already spraying down several pickup trucks and smaller cars while more vehicles rolled into the lot. 

Sammy looked around and saw Buffy at a food stand hugging the walk next to the car wash lot. She had a line of people snaking through a couple of crowds. Sammy noticed her slicing loaves of bread and scooping stuff into them.

Sammy grinned and looked up at his daddy. 

“Buffy’s here daddy! She’s got sandwiches!”

Dean paused and shifted around. 

“Do you see her daddy? Do you?”

“Yeah I see her Sammy.”

“Can we go see her?”

“Well, she looks pretty busy right now.”

Sammy moped in disappointment. Dean let out a breath as he eyed one of his mechanics.

“Hey Walt, will you do me a favor and mark down the price of the wash and wax man? I don’t want to rob people if it rains tomorrow.”

Sammy glanced at the young guy who nodded at his daddy. Sammy did not know this guy either. 

“Come on Sammy, let’s go hit up your uncle Bobby for a pony ride, okay?”

Sammy nodded eagerly as Dean tugged him to the edge of the parking lot. As they passed by Buffy’s stand, Sammy dug his feet into the pavement and tugged Dean.

“Can we say hi daddy? Please?”

Dean let out a breath at Sammy’s wide eyes. 

“Okay, yeah, we can at least say hi,” he said. 

Dean guided Sammy around the throngs of people gathered by the station. His eyes widened gleefully when he caught the delectable aroma wafting from several slow cookers. He glanced at Buffy as she spooned some meat from one of the pots onto a large hoagie roll. 

“Wow, that smells amazing,” he said. 

Dean quickly peeled through more people and ambled behind the stand as Buffy handed a plate to a customer. 

“Hi Buffy!” Sammy squealed.

Buffy glanced in surprise before she grinned at him.

“Hi Sammy!” 

She shifted her eyes to Dean.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey. What’cha got in there?”

Dean drew his eyes to the three pots. 

“Oh um.....”

Buffy pulled the lid off each one.

“Roast beef with au jus, meatball and pastrami.”

“You mean: yum, yum and yum.”

Buffy giggled at the silly smile on his face as he inhaled the aroma from each pot. When he had his fill, he shifted his eyes on Buffy.

“I take it you made all of this yourself.”

Buffy nodded as she turned to a customer briefly. After filling a few more orders, she eyed Sammy and Dean.

“Where’s your stand?”

“Oh, I have a car washing station right behind you.”

“Car washing? Oh. Well, hopefully it doesn’t rain.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. Anyway, we don’t want to keep you from all of these customers. We just wanted to say hi.”

“Buffy? Will you come watch me ride the pony?”

“She’s gonna be really busy Sammy,” Dean replied gently.

Buffy eyed the line.

“Oh um, I can take a break in a little while. Will said she’d help me out if I got really busy.”

Dean shot his eyes around when he heard his name called. He saw stacks of cars in the parking lot waiting for washes.

“Looks like we had a spurt,” he said. “I’ll have to take you for that pony ride a little later, okay Sammy?”

Sammy sunk and pouted. “Can I stay here and help Buffy? Please daddy? She can take me on the pony ride.”

“She’s busy right now Sammy. I’ll take you in a little while.”

“I wanna stay with Buffy. Puh-leeze?!”

Buffy finished changing out a customer while taking another order. She glanced down at Sammy before she eyed Dean.

“It’s okay, I could use a little helper,” she said. “I’ll watch him for you.”

“Are you sure?”

Buffy nodded as she moved quickly through the stand, scooping, plating and cashing customers out. 

“Okay, uh, thanks.”

Buffy handed Sammy a stack of plates. 

“You can plate the sandwiches and hand them out for me, okay Sammy?”

Sammy grinned and nodded as he quickly put out plates for the hoagie rolls. 

“Okay bye Sammy, have fun,” Dean replied.

Sammy waved before he dove into his task. Dean drew an amused smile before he retreated into the parking lot. 

A short time later, still flooded with customers, Willow dropped by Buffy’s station to takeover for awhile. Buffy drew a long breath in exhaustion. She glanced down at Sammy and beamed a smile. 

“Okay, pony ride here we come!” she cooed.

“Daddy takes my hand when there are lots of people,” Sammy pointed.

Sammy held his little hand out. Buffy widened her smile.

“Oh okay,” she said. 

Buffy latched onto Sammy’s hand and steered him through the hoards of people. She looked through the crowd and located the pony corral. An older man with shaggy brown hair and a beard flashed congenial smiles as he helped kids climb onto ponies. 

After a few minutes, Bobby ushered a group of kids out of the corral. Buffy and Sammy moved up in the line. She smiled fondly as she gently tugged Sammy closer to the corral. 

Bobby eyed Buffy before he grinned and swept Sammy up in his arms.

“Sammy, look at you! You’re getting so big!”

“Daddy calls me his little man,” Sammy sang.

Buffy giggled drawing Bobby’s attention back to her. 

“Well, hello there, you must be the new girl in town,” he said.

“Oh, um, was there a memo?”

Bobby set Sammy down and extended a friendly hand. 

“I’m Sheriff Bobby Singer, it’s my job to know the new folks.”

“Oh, well hello, I’m Buffy Summers.”

“Lovely to meet you Miss Summers.”

Bobby eyed Sammy. 

“Okay Sammy, let’s get you a pony.”

Buffy hung back at the entrance and watched as Bobby helped Sammy into the saddle. He waved his little hand at Buffy as the pony began to casually strut around the corral. Buffy giggled and waved back. Bobby glanced at Sammy and smiled.

“She’s gonna be my mommy,” Sammy said.

Bobby chuckled. “You don’t say? Well, I know I haven’t talked to your daddy in awhile but I’d hope he would have said something to me about that.”

“Daddy hasn’t asked her to be my mommy yet,” Sammy said. “He said grown ups go on ‘dates’ first before they become mommies and daddies.”

“Well, he’s right Sammy, grownups need to have quite a few dates before they consider that.”

“My daddy hasn’t taken Buffy on a grown up date yet,” Sammy moped.

Bobby chuckled at Sammy’s disappointment.

“Well, it’s been a long time since your daddy met a girl he wanted to date. Buffy seems very nice.”

Sammy nodded emphatically. “She is! She came to my game and gave me brownies and a cookie and played at the arcade with me! And she’s nice to my daddy too!”

Bobby glanced at Buffy who was watching Sammy with a wide smile.

“Well, sounds like your daddy ran into some luck,” Bobby replied.

Buffy watched Sammy circle the corral a few times when a thought struck her. She frantically fished in her pockets for her cell phone just as Bobby whistled for the pony to stop.

“Hold on!” she hollered. “Say cheese Sammy!”

Sammy flashed a toothy grin as Buffy took a picture with her phone. Bobby helped him off the pony and set him back on his feet. Sammy ran out of the corral and over to Buffy.

“Thank you Uncle Bobby!” 

Bobby smiled paternally. “You’re very welcome Sammy. You tell your daddy to come by with you for dinner some night, okay?”

Sammy nodded as he latched onto Buffy’s hand. Bobby grinned at the action and gave a nod to Buffy.

“Nice meeting you,” he said.

“Yes, you too Sheriff Singer,” she remarked.

“Please, folks in this town call me Sheriff Bobby,” he insisted.

“Okay, Sheriff Bobby,” Buffy said.

Buffy gave a wave as she gently tugged Sammy through a crowd. The car wash station was hopping with a fairly large female clientele, hovering around the sight of hunky young guys in fitted shirts in danger of getting soaked. 

Buffy took pause herself when her eyes drifted over Dean. He was hanging on the running board of an SUV, scrubbing down the muddy roof. After a few minutes, one of his mechanics hurled a wet sponge at his head. Dean dodged just before the sponge whacked him in the face. He caught the sponge in his hand and threw it hard at Caleb. 

Caleb dodged out of the way and whistled at Dean before he turned the hose on him. Dean darted off the running board and ran around the SUV. He snatched up a bucket of soapy, dirty water and ambushed Caleb from one side of the SUV. He threw the soapy water over Caleb’s head, soaking him to the bone. Dean chuckled as several mechanics joined in. 

Sammy broke from Buffy and ran toward his daddy. Dean settled down when he saw Sammy. 

“Daddy! I rode the pony!”

“Did you have fun Sammy?”

Sammy nodded and hitched his eyes to Buffy who just caught up to him. 

“Thanks for watching him,” Dean said with an appreciative look.

“No problem, it looks like you’re really busy.....fooling around.”

Dean flashed a sheepish smile. “Uh yeah – we were just uh....”

“Being boys?” she teased. 

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, I should get back to my station.”

Buffy waved at Sammy.

“Bye sweetie,” she chimed.

Sammy bounced in his stance. 

“Bye Buffy!”

Dean held his gaze as Buffy wandered around a car and settled back into her station. He drifted his sights behind him when he heard his name. He noticed Tess eyeing him from her car. Caleb jogged over to him.

“You got a special request Winchester,” he said.

Dean heaved a sigh and shook his head as Caleb trotted over to another car. 

“Come on Sammy. Daddy needs your help washing some cars.”

“I don’t want to wash cars,” Sammy groaned.

“Well, you just need to stay with me. I’ll take a break in about a half hour and then we can grab some lunch, okay?”

Sammy brightened with a toothy grin. “Can we have a sandwich from Buffy?”

Dean glanced at the long line forming at the sandwich stand again.

“Well, if there is anything left by the time I get a break, yeah, sure, we can try one of those fantastic smelling sandwiches.”

Sammy skipped beside Dean as he ambled over to Tess’ car. Tess flashed a flirtatious smile as she climbed out of her car. Sammy frowned when he watched the dark haired lady circling his daddy. 

Dean fetched the hose and sprayed the car as Tess hung by and watched him. Sammy stayed close to his daddy as he ambled around the back of the car. After several minutes of soaping the car down, Sammy noticed the lady getting closer to his daddy. 

Buffy found her eyes wandering after her rush of customers died down briefly. She stole a look behind her into the car wash lot. She noticed Sammy hovering beside Dean as an attractive brunette woman weaved closer to him. 

Buffy eyed the woman as she practically salivated over Dean. She exuded an overt sexiness in her high heels, hip hugging jeans and low cut sweater. She was like a tiger getting ready to pounce on her prey. Buffy watched Dean a little too intently as he seemed to keep his distance from the woman, treating her with staunch professionalism. 

Buffy shifted her attention from the car lot when she heard some rustling at her stand. She acknowledged her customer and went back to filling orders.

 

“I brought some chocolate scones Dean, would you like one?”

Tess flipped the lid off a brown carton and fished one out. She held it up in front of her lips and gave him a coquettish smile. 

“I just bought them, they’re hot and delicious.....like a lot of things,” she remarked with a bat of her eyes. 

Sammy didn’t like this girl. He ran over to his daddy and clung to his leg. Dean glanced at his boy before he forced a polite smile on his face.

“No, thank you, I uh, just ate a short time ago.”

Sammy ran around a bucket of dirty water near Tess. He swiped up a large sponge and chucked it hard into the water. Tess eyed Sammy with a hard expression as the water sloshed dangerously around the bucket. He haphazardly plucked the sponge up and churned up the water. Some of the water dripped off the top and pooled around his feet. Tess stepped away from the river of water nearing her feet.

“Be careful there Shawnie, these are Manolos,” she said sharply.

Dean paused to correct her but brushed the urge off, knowing the futility of his actions. Sammy ran over with his soaked sponge and waved it around the bottom of the car. 

“Look daddy, I’m helping,” he said.

Dean drew a proud smile. 

“Good job Sammy.”

Dean went back to cleaning the hub cap as quickly but efficiently as possible. Sammy ran back to the bucket and threw his sponge even harder into the water. A geyser of soapy, dirty water spewed from the bucket and created a thicker river around his feet. He watched the river shooting along the pavement and heading toward Tess’s high priced heels. 

Tess jumped when a pool of water soaked the back of her shoes. She drew an exasperated breath and glared at Sammy.

“You did that on purpose you little punk!”

Dean snapped his sights behind him and saw Tess’s disapproving glare at Sammy. He shot to his feet and bounded over to Tess and leaned close to her. He lowered his tone when he noticed all the customers around him. 

“Hey, do not take that tone with my kid,” he said curtly.

Tess flashed a forgiving smile. 

“He was messing around and got my shoes wet when I asked him not to,” she reasoned. “You really shouldn’t let him be so careless around your customers, it’s bad for business.”

“He’s six and he was just trying to help me. Most of my customers wouldn’t be so concerned about a pair of high heels, let alone wear them to a car wash where water is gonna be everywhere. He was just playing around but so were you.”

Dean dropped his sponge on the ground and drew a sharp whistle at Cass. 

“Can you finish this up man? I’m gonna help out over there for a bit.”

Cass nodded as Dean glared at Tess for a minute before ambling away. 

Sammy looked up at Tess. 

“You can’t be my mommy. My daddy says if I don’t like a girl, he won’t make her my mommy. I don’t like you.”

Sammy darted away between some cars and found his daddy cashing out a customer. 

 

The festival was in full swing as the comfortable weather held out through the early afternoon. Crowds of people roamed through the streets as music blared through the speakers. 

Dean let Sammy sit inside a Gran Turino since he knew the owner didn’t mind. Sammy turned the steering wheel and explored the glove compartments, trying to chase his boredom away. When he sat up again, he spied Buffy still dishing out sandwiches at her stand. 

“Daddy, can I go say hi to Buffy?”

Dean looked up from the hood. “Okay but come right back, I don’t want you bothering her too much.”

Sammy nodded as he raced a few feet over to Buffy. He tugged on her coat. Buffy swung around and smiled.

“Hi Sammy.”

Sammy watched Buffy as she sunk her spoon into one of the slow cookers.

“Buffy, do you want to go on a grown up date with my daddy?”

Buffy blinked with surprise and paused with speechlessness before she heard her customer grunting. She quickly fulfilled her order before she swung her eyes behind her. She spotted Dean diligently waxing a car. She looked down at Sammy as she filled her next order.

“Um, did your daddy say that he wanted to go on a....grown up date with me?”

Buffy hitched her eyes to the flood of people waiting in line. Sammy darted off back to his daddy.

“Daddy! Daddy!”

Dean looked up from the bumper he was detailing as Sammy ran toward him. 

“What’s up Sammy?”

“You want to take Buffy on a grown up date, don’t you daddy?”

Dean stared briefly at Sammy’s immense grin before he glanced around the parking lot. Buffy was running back and forth in her station trying to keep up with her orders.

“Uh, Sammy, were you talking to Buffy about that?” he asked nervously.

Dean glanced at a Black Toyota Tundra that pulled into the lot before he regarded Sammy’s eager expression.

“Will you take her on a grown up date daddy?” 

“Uh, did she say she wanted me to take her on a....grown up date?”

“If she goes, will you take her daddy? Will you?” Sammy asked anxiously.

Sammy bounced in his stance waiting for an answer. Dean let out a long breath as the determination on his six year old’s face thickened. He let out an awkward laugh as he stood up. 

“Gee Sammy, way to lay the pressure on thick here,” he said. 

Sammy continued to bounce in his stance as Dean felt a tap on his shoulder. He swung around and smiled.

“Xan-man, I thought that was you,” he said.

Sammy looked up at the young guy with lanky dark hair shaking his daddy’s hand. 

“How’s the Tundra running these days? It’s been so long since you’ve been in my shop, I was beginning to think you’ve been getting service elsewhere. Are you cheating on me man?”

Dean chuckled as he swung the hose over to the Tundra and started soaking it. 

Xander drew a sheepish smile. “Yeah, sorry man, I’ve been slacking in my tune-upage but that new downtown complex has been keeping me busy.”

Dean gave a nod of acknowledgment as Sammy tugged on his hand. 

“Daddy, can I tell Buffy now?”

Dean flushed a slight shade of red as Xander eyed him curiously. 

“Uh, okay Sammy, if she wants to, it’d be my pleasure,” he said. 

Sammy strained to hear his daddy’s answer over the wealth of conversation, laughter, music and motor engines bombarding his ears. He grinned and bounded toward the sandwich stand.

“....But let me talk to her later about it........”

Dean dropped the hose and glanced down at Sammy as he took off into the crowd. He felt a flutter of panic until he saw Sammy peeling out of a crowd and stopping behind Buffy at her stand.

Xander scratched his head in wonder.

“Buffy? Wow, I really have been busy, I didn’t know you were dating someone new or at all.”

Dean shifted awkwardly in his stance as he swept up a soapy sponge. “Uh, I’m not really – I just met her about a week ago, she moved out here from L.A., I helped her out with car. She came to Sammy’s game with a bunch of tasty treats.”

“Oh, so she’s six year old approved,” Xander remarked.

“Yeah, he’s a little too approving, not that it’s bad, I mean, I like to see him so excited but.....”

“You haven’t even asked her out, huh?”

“Uh, no....I was going to get around to it but it seems my kid is all too eager to set me up.”

“Yeah, we’re at the mercy of our kids,” Xander replied. “Jack has us eating chicken tenders and mac and cheese almost every night for dinner cuz mommy and daddy have to eat what he does or he thinks we don’t love him.”

Dean shook his head and chuckled in amusement. “Yeah, got to love the success rate of their guilt trips, huh?”

Sammy tugged on Buffy’s coat as she handed out her umpteenth sandwich. She swung a glance his way.

“Oh, Sammy, hi honey,” she said. 

“Buffy! Daddy says if you want to, he’ll take your treasure,” he said.

Buffy blinked several times in surprise and wonder. 

“Um.....huh? I’m sorry sweetie I don’t understand,” she said.

Buffy moved to her cash station to make change.

“Will you go with him on a grown up date Buffy? Will you?”

Sammy danced in his stance and followed Buffy as she moved back to her cook top. She flashed a friendly smile to her batch of customers before she looked down at Sammy. She saw the wide set eagerness in his eyes. She would be inhuman to crush the spirits of a six year old.

“Um, if he wants me to, okay, yeah,” she said. 

Buffy briefly turned back to her customer. 

“.....But I’ll drop by and talk to him later, okay sweetie?”

When she snuck a glance down at Sammy, he was gone.

 

“Dude, when are we gonna finish up the deck on my house? I could really use your help.”

Xander raked a hand through his hair. “Yeah, it’s on my ‘to do list after Anya’s ‘honey do list’. She’s had me putting new shingles on the house for the past day and a half.”

“Daddy!”

Dean glanced down at Sammy who had returned to his side.

“Sammy, stay where I can see you, it’s getting really crowded now,” he said gently.

“Daddy, if you go, Buffy will go,” Sammy said. “Where will you go on your grown up date?”

Dean blinked in surprise again. Was he really being set up on a date by a six year old? 

“Sammy, let me talk to her later about this, okay?”

Sammy struggled to hear his daddy clearly through all the noise. 

“Daddy, I didn’t hear you,” he said. “Where will you take her?”

“I was up on the rooftop until 3, breaking my back,” Xander remarked.

Dean strained his own hearing through the mixture of noise blaring in the air. He crouched down and starting washing the dirt off on the running board as he checked on Sammy.

Sammy saw his daddy’s eyes noticing him. He strained his hearing again giddily awaiting an answer. 

“Geez, you were on the rooftop until 3AM?” 

Sammy grinned even though he didn’t understand the answer. He figured it was something grownups do. Dean shifted his eyes up to Xander as Sammy bolted off toward the sandwich stand. 

Dean drew alarm when Sammy had taken off. He quickly searched through the crowd and spotted Sammy hanging out at the sandwich stand. He blew out a long breath as he glanced back at Xander.

“Okay, I think he’s bored to death,” he groaned. “You’re my last car man.”

 

Buffy blew a long breath of exhaustion as the contents in her slow cooker dwindled down to few portions. She felt a tug on her coat and looked down to see Sammy with a toothy grin. 

“Hi sweetie, what’s going on?”

“Buffy! Daddy wants to take you on the rooftop at three AM, he’ll have the cheese,” he shouted over the noise.

Buffy gulped as her face bled with shock. 

Did she hear that right? 

Several customers drew her attention away as her mind drummed up a single thought:

Oh god, bad dates, bad dates!

Buffy swallowed the hard lump in her throat as she slowly scooped out the last of the roast beef. Sammy danced in his stance again as Buffy handed out a sandwich. 

“Buffy! Buffy!” 

Buffy flashed a friendly smile to her next customer before shifting her eyes to Sammy.

“Are you gonna go?”

Buffy gulped again when she saw the growing giddiness in Sammy’s eyes. 

Sammy waited patiently as Buffy filled her last few orders. When she looked down at him, he strained his ears to hear her answer.

“Um, well, I don’t know if I have anything to wear for such an.... occasion,” she said. 

Buffy turned her eyes back to her customer. When she checked on Sammy, he had taken off again.

“Daddy!” 

Dean hitched his eyes up from the hood of the Tundra as Sammy ran over to him.

“Sammy, please stay here,” he stressed. “I just have to finish this up and then we can do something fun, okay?”

“Daddy, Buffy says she’s not going to wear anything,” Sammy replied.

Dean paused in his action when he thought he was hearing things. He blinked several times in disbelief as he stared at Sammy.

“Uh....what did you say Sammy?”

“Buffy doesn’t know if she’ll wear anything on your grown up date,” Sammy repeated.

Dean widened his eyes as he felt a surge of male excitement blasting through his veins. He felt the corners of his mouth chipping into a goofy smile.

Woah. 

 

Buffy sighed in relief when her line of customers finally died down. She started cleaning up her stand when a young guy in a baseball cap ambled up to her. 

“You need some help cleaning up?” he asked.

Buffy eyed the baseball cap emblazoned with the logo: Owen’s Appliances. She drew a polite smile. 

“Oh, no, thank you, I’m okay,” she said. 

Owen leaned against the stand and smiled. 

“You’re new in town.”

“Yeah, I guess a new face is recognizable in a small town like Lawrence.”

“Well, not too many new faces are as pretty as yours,” he said.

Buffy drew a bashful smile. “Um, thanks.”

“Daddy, are you and Buffy going to have your grown up date soon?”

Well Jesus, if she’s not going to be wearing anything......

Dean snapped out of his lingering male thought and glanced down at Sammy. 

“Uh, we’ll see Sammy.”

Dean tossed his dirty rags into a basket and shuffled over to the cash station. He turned in his tips and glanced across the parking lot. He noticed Owen chatting with Buffy at her food station. Owen had an overly friendly smile as he helped clean out her stand.

Dean let out a sigh when he noticed Buffy’s warm smile as she talked to Owen. A few minutes later, Buffy strolled away with Owen, carrying a bunch of her pots in his arms. 

“Daddy, I’m hungry, can we eat lunch now?”

Dean shifted his eyes away from Buffy as she seemed to animatedly converse with Owen. He glanced at Sammy and let out another long sigh. The kid was going to be crushed if Buffy started dating Owen. 

“Yeah Sammy, let’s get going,” he said. 

He took Sammy’s hand and led him out of the lot. 

 

The next evening, Buffy and Willow strolled down the same street as the Harvest/Halloween Festival got under way. Buffy eyed the orange and brown lights strung through the trees, the lines of people waiting for hay rides and the assortment of “pumpkin” themed food stands. She munched on a candy apple and admired people in their costumes as she and Willow drifted from stand to stand.

“So he actually said he wanted to ‘take you’ on the rooftop?”

Buffy shifted her eyes away from a guy dressed as a zombie and glanced at Willow. 

“Um if I heard Sammy right, that’s what Dean was alluding to.”

Willow widened her eyes. “I can’t believe he’d get Sammy to say that. I mean talk about bad dates.”

“I know, when I heard it I immediately thought, ‘wow, bad first date right out of the gate’ and then I saw how excited Sammy was and I just couldn’t say anything bad.....”

“Well, did you ask Dean about it?”

“No, I didn’t really get the chance to, I was so exhausted after my last customer and I started cleaning up and chatting with this guy and he helped me carry a bunch of stuff to my car...anyway, when I went back to the car wash station, Dean had already taken off and of course, I couldn’t really sleep because all I was thinking was....what exactly was he gonna do with that cheese?”

Willow sighed. “I’m sorry Buffy, I didn’t think Dean was going to come on so strong like that. But maybe.....maybe Sammy didn’t hear him right because I honestly believe that Dean is a good guy.”

Buffy let out a long breath as she paused at a stand selling cheesy Kansas souvenirs. 

“It was pretty noisy and my mind was trying to keep track of a million things so, I really hope he didn’t mean it and to be honest, I don’t know how I would address it with him.”

“Yeah awkward city,” Willow lamented. 

Willow gulped as she eyed Buffy.

“Well, you might want to leave before you hit awkward city, cuz as it is Halloween, Dean will be here at some point.”

Buffy nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense, he’s got Sammy and I noticed all the rides and candy handouts.”

“And the annual costume contest which Dean NEVER misses.” 

“He’s going to enter the contest?”

Willow nodded. “Oh yeah, he wins the contest like every year.”

Buffy widened her eyes as her curiosity thickened. 

“This one is a couple year’s back, Sammy was dressed up as the lead singer of AC/DC – see the shorts and hat?”

Buffy gasped and then giggled. “Aw! That is SO cute!”

She searched over the wall of pictures.

“Oh my god, is that them too as KISS?”

Willow nodded as Buffy giggled at the picture of Dean and Sammy in full KISS makeup, shaggy black wigs and leather jackets, sticking their tongues out at the camera.

“Oh wow,” Buffy replied. “Dean really goes all out with Sammy’s costumes.”

“Yeah, he’s really a big draw, I mean cute kid in a costume – always gets attention. Anyway, every year around this time, people try to bribe Dean into revealing what he’s going to dress Sammy up as and he never tells anyone, not even Oz.”

“But isn’t he part of the band?”

Willow nodded as they got in line at a pumpkin spice tea stand. 

“Yeah, but Dean gets really crazy about keeping it a secret so he makes Oz and Xander show up at a location an hour before the festival and then gives them what they’re supposed to wear.”

“He takes it pretty seriously. So you have no clue what he’s going to be this year?”

Willow shook her head. “Nope, it’s a good thing though, because I can’t keep a secret anyway.”

 

Sammy moped deeply as his daddy parked the car. 

“Daddy, I don’t want to wear this costume, I look like a girl.”

Dean cut the engine and glanced at Sammy with concern.

“You don’t look like a girl,” he said emphatically. 

Sammy hiked his little arms across his chest. 

“But I have long hair and I’m wearing makeup, I look like a girl. I don’t want to look like a girl.”

“It’s just a wig Sammy and a little black eyeliner. It’s part of the costume. Look at me, I’m wearing a mustache and a really itchy shag wig but you don’t hear me complaining.”

Dean leaned over and adjusted the sunglasses on Sammy’s face. 

“But I look stupid,” Sammy lamented.

“You do not look stupid Sammy, you look awesome! You’re Ozzy Osbourne, the front man of a really cool rock band.”

Sammy saw the enthusiasm on his daddy’s face.

“You don’t think I look stupid?”

“Sammy, I would never make you look stupid,” Dean remarked sincerely. “The whole town looks forward to seeing you on Halloween, I’ve had tons of people throwing money at me to tell them what you’re going as but I never tell them because it’s our little secret and our legend since you’re a shoo in for the costume contest.”

Dean let Sammy out of the car and examined his wig. After he straightened out a few stray hairs in the dark brown wig, he snatched a guitar and a microphone from the backseat.

“We win the contest?” Sammy asked.

“Yeah, every year you make daddy a winner,” Dean replied with a smile. 

“What do we win?”

“An assortment of fresh baked pies from Sue’s diner,” Dean answered.

“Yum, I like pie!”

“Me too, that’s why you make me so proud on Halloween.”

Sammy brightened as his daddy took his hand. Dean eyed the cars in the parking lot.

“We need to wait a bit for Oz and Xander,” he said. “Can’t walk in as a two member band.”

 

Buffy and Willow collected their foam cups of tea and wandered through the crowd. After a short time, an announcement blared through the speakers. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen! The Harvest Festival is proud to present some very special guests!”

Willow widened her eyes in excitement.

“Oh gosh! Oz and the band are here!”

A large crowd gathered around the entrance to the festival. Buffy and Willow huddled around the crowd. 

“Put your hands together and welcome............Black Sabbath!”

Buffy propped herself up on her feet to look over the crowd as whistles and laughter erupted in the air. She gave a frustrated sigh when a group of tall tourists kept blocking her view. A short time later, Dean, Sammy, Oz and Xander emerged from the throngs of people. 

Buffy opened her mouth in amusement before she bellowed with laughter. Dean coaxed Sammy into posing with a microphone in his Ozzy Osbourne costume as a few people took pictures. She snickered when Dean did a very cheesy rocker pose from different angles. 

After the excitement in the crowd died down, the four broke off and weaved in different directions. Willow hailed Oz’s attention. He wandered over as Sammy took notice of Buffy lingering on the walkway. He tugged on his daddy’s hand.

“Daddy! Buffy is over there!”

Dean wrapped up a quick conversation with a regular customer and shifted his eyes to Sammy. He glanced across the way and saw Buffy smiling at Owen. 

“Can we say hi?”

Dean let out a long breath. “Uh, maybe later Sammy, let’s go see how long the line is for the hayrides.”

Sammy pouted deeply “Why can’t we say hi to Buffy?”

“Well, it looks like she’s in the middle of talking with someone. We don’t want to be rude and interrupt her right now. We can say hi a little later, okay?”

“But, I want Buffy to go on the hayride with us daddy,” Sammy moped. “Please?”

Dean studied the body language between Buffy and Owen. She was standing in a very relaxed position as she chatted with Owen. 

“Not right now,” Dean said gently. “We’ll talk to her later.”

“I don’t want to go on the hayride,” Sammy moaned. 

Sammy broke from Dean and darted toward Buffy. Dean heaved a sigh and called after Sammy.

 

“He does? Well, what does he go as?”

Willow glanced around the booths before she bolted off her feet. Buffy caught up to her at a tourism booth. Behind the booth was a large poster board tacked with pictures. Willow pointed to a bunch of pictures in the right hand corner.

“Here’s last year’s photo – there’s Sammy as DeDe Snyder from Twisted Sister. That’s Dean and my boyfriend Oz and another friend Xander – they always fill out the rest of the band members.”

Buffy leaned over the booth to get a better look. She saw Sammy dressed in a pint sized red leather jacket and wearing a curly blonde wig. 

“Oh my gosh!” she gasped. “That is so adorable!”

Willow pointed out another winning photo. 

“Buffy?” 

Buffy swung around to see Owen dressed as a young Elvis. She let out a short giggle. 

“Elvis?”

“Dorothy, great costume,” Owen replied. 

Buffy gave him a friendly smile. 

“Thanks,” she said. 

As crowds of people swarmed around them, Owen moved a little closer to Buffy. 

“I uh, really enjoyed talking with you yesterday,” he said. “You’re very.....genuine for someone from California.”

“Uh, thank you,” she said.

“Listen um....I was wondering if you’d want to maybe uh....get some coffee some night......”

“Buffy!”

Buffy glanced behind her to see Sammy running toward her. Sammy clung to her hip. 

“Hi Sammy, oh I mean, Ozzy,” she said. 

Sammy grinned up at her. “Will you go on the hayride with me and daddy?”

“Oh um....”

Buffy glanced at Owen. 

“I didn’t realize you were involved,” Owen said softly.

“I’m um, not really.....”

“Oh, are you like babysitting tonight?”

“Um......no.”

Sammy tugged anxiously on Buffy’s skirt. “Buffy?”

“Sammy!” 

Sammy hitched his little head to the street and saw his daddy frowning. 

Dean let out a breath as he crouched down beside Sammy.

“Hey, why did you run away like that? You know you’re supposed to stay with me in crowded places like this.”

“I want to go on the hayride with you and Buffy.”

Dean let out a long sigh as he straightened and took Sammy’s hand. He glanced at Buffy very briefly.

“I’m really sorry he’s just barging in on you,” he said. “Come on Sammy, let’s go.”

Sammy clung to Buffy’s hip and moped some more.

“Please daddy, can we go on the hayride with Buffy?”

Dean swallowed the growing impatience building in his system. Buffy saw the tension between Dean and Sammy and swiftly brushed a hand over Sammy’s wigged head and smiled down at him.

“A hayride sounds fun Sammy,” she said. “Just let me finish up with my friend and I’ll meet you in one second, okay?”

Dean blinked in awe at the way Buffy handled the awkward situation. Sammy grinned from ear to ear and let go of Buffy but he remained at her side.

Dean glanced at Owen.

“How’s the Chevy?”

“Uh, good man, since that last tune up, it’s running great,” Owen answered. 

Dean nodded and took Sammy’s hand. 

“Come on Sammy, I’ll buy you that candy apple you were drooling over.”

“But.....Buffy.....”

Buffy flashed Sammy a reassuring smile.

“Oh, I’ll meet you at the stand,” she said. “I’m addicted to those candy apples.”

Sammy grinned with satisfaction and then took off with his daddy. Buffy drew her attention back to Owen, gracing him with a polite look.

“Um, I should get going....”

“Yeah, um, have a good time,” he said. 

 

A short time later, Buffy found Dean and Sammy in line at the candy apple stand. Sammy bounced up and down when he saw Buffy. She joined them in line and after a brief moment of awkward silence, she feigned an offended look at Dean.

“You haven’t said one thing about my costume,” she said. “I mean, I put it all together myself.” 

Dean noticed the sparkle in her eyes as the moonlight reflected off her golden skinned face. He let out a short breath and forced his body to relax as he looked her costume over.

“Wow, well, that’s the best Dorothy costume I’ve ever seen, did you make the shoes too?”

Buffy clicked her ruby shoes. She had gone all out for her costume, spending most of the night sewing her exact replica of Dorothy’s dress from the Wizard of Oz. When the costume shop was sold out of brunette wigs, she settled for braiding her own hair and applying a deep shade of red lipstick. Under her arm, she cradled a stuffed dog with a red ribbon around its neck.

“Mmm hmm, spent a couple hours with a bottle of glue and a can of glitter,” she remarked. 

Dean glanced at the dog and chuckled. “Well, you did amazing job, I like the dog too.”

“What would Dorothy be without Toto? I think I may give you a run for your money in the costume contest.”

Dean chuckled at her taunting smile.

“Oh, I don’t think so, Sammy’s got it in the bag,” he said confidently. “I mean, who are you going to vote for? A grown up Dorothy with some flashy shoes or an adorable six year old with a rock mock face?”

Buffy glanced at Sammy as he posed. She giggled and nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right, he’s cute as a button.”

Dean was next in line at the stand. 

“Did you want one? I’m buying.”

“I really shouldn’t, I already had two and I haven’t found a good dentist yet,” she lamented. 

Dean collected his change and handed Sammy an apple dripping in caramel. They strolled over to a small line for the hayrides. Costumed staff assisted people into the back of wagons. Sammy eagerly crawled into the back as Buffy sat on one side of the wagon, while he and his daddy sat on the other. As the wagon rolled around a lush area of town, Sammy bounded over to Buffy and grinned.

“Buffy, are you going to make pancakes for us tomorrow after you and daddy have a sleepover?”

Dean felt his jaw drop open in astonishment. “Uh, Sammy, what are you talking about?”

Sammy casually turned to his daddy. “This kid at school says that when daddies don’t live with mommies, they have grown up sleepovers.”

Dean widened his eyes in horror. Buffy covered her mouth with her hand to smother her giggle fit. Dean blinked several times as the shock gripped his system. He drew a sheepish smile before he reached over and snatched Sammy on the bench.

“I swear I did not tell him to say that,” he said.

Buffy snickered softly as Dean shaded with embarrassment. He hitched his head around and regarded the driver.

“Hey uh, how long is this hay ride anyway?”

Buffy snickered softly again as Sammy munched on his candy apple, completely unaware of the awkward moment he had caused.

“You can sleep in daddy’s room, he’s got a big bed,” Sam said gleefully.

Dean widened his eyes and stuffed the apple back in Sammy’s mouth.

“Eat your apple Sammy.”

Dean glanced at Buffy and forced out a laugh.

“He’s such a jokester.”

Buffy averted her eyes from Dean as she felt her cheeks flushing red.

 

When the wagon returned to the drop off point, Dean hurriedly gathered up Sammy and hopped off to the ground. An announcement blared through the speakers requesting all costume contest participants to gather on the steps of City Hall. Dean braved a look at Buffy. 

“Uh, that’s our cue,” he said. 

“Oh, right, good luck,” she said.

“Are you coming Buffy?” Sammy asked.

Dean let out a sigh as Sammy tugged Buffy along the walkway to City Hall. 

After the votes were counted, for the sixth year in a row, little Sammy Winchester won the grand prize. Dean picked Sammy up in his arms as the cameras flashed rapidly. 

Buffy found Willow in the crowd as more group pictures were taken of all the contest participants. Eventually, as the crowd dispersed, Oz wandered over to Willow and she made an introduction to Buffy. 

 

On the steps of City Hall, Dean collected his certificate for his free pies before he led Sammy down to the street.

“Daddy, are you going to have a grown up sleepover with Buffy?”

Dean paused and let out a long breath. He folded down on to the step and settled Sammy next to him.

“Okay, whoever this kid at school is that told you this stuff, I really don’t want you talking to him to anymore.”

Sammy huffed. “But daddy, you said I could choose my mommy and I like Buffy.”

“I realize you like her Sammy, I do and she seems to be good with you but you need to let daddy handle this, okay?”

“But you’re taking too long,” Sammy groused.

Dean rocked his head back, taken aback by his opinionated son. A laugh sputtered from his mouth as he shook his head in awe.

“Geez Sammy, you really want me to move fast.”

“Why can’t you just ask Buffy to be my mommy?”

“Because it’s a little more complicated than that Sammy,” Dean answered gingerly. “There’s stuff between grownups that requires.....some research....I can’t expect you to understand, you just need to know that it takes a little longer than you think.”

Sammy drew an impatient sigh. 

“You said you would give her a test to see if she could be my mommy,” he moaned. “I want Buffy to be my mommy. You said you would try.”

Dean heaved a huge sigh as he saw the deep seated longing in Sammy’s eyes. 

“Yeah, I know I did,” he said. “It’s just that.....it’s been a very long time since daddy met anyone worth talking to......”

Dean plucked the wig off of Sammy’s head and ruffled his real hair.

“But I sure do like talking to Buffy, and I like the way she talks to you and interacts with you, so..........let’s go see if she’s still here.”

Sammy grinned and shot to his feet. 

“Are you going to have a grown up sleepover?”

“Uh, let me do the talking, okay?”

Dean shifted his eyes around the dispersing crowds and saw a flash of red sparkles dancing under a street lamp. He guided Sammy through throngs of people. When he peeled out of a crowd, he stopped to take off his scratchy wig and mustache. Buffy chatted animatedly with Willow and Oz as Dean wandered over with Sammy.

Willow grinned and waved at Sammy.

“Hi guys, congratulations,” she chimed.

Dean smiled back, “Thanks.”

He steered his eyes toward Buffy.

“Can I get a moment with you Dorothy?”

Caught by a brilliant spark in his eyes, Buffy struggled to keep her jaw from dropping open. 

“Sure,” she said softly.

“Well, we’ll see you all later,” Willow replied.

Dean and Oz nodded to each other. Willow and Oz ambled away leaving Dean, Buffy and Sammy alone. A short silence passed between them. 

“Uh, are you planning on going to the Corn Festival tomorrow?”

Buffy blew out a breath. “I don’t know, I’m pretty festivaled out but I might be convinced if the Corn Fest sounds spectacular.”

“Well, it isn’t really, it’s more of the same of what you saw here, people in Corn costumes and a million kinds of corn themed foods.”

“Oh, then I guess not,” she said. 

As another silence blew through them, Dean shifted in his stance.

_Come on Dean, you used to be so smooth with girls and now you can’t even talk to them._

“So uh, have you had any real Kansas experiences since you’ve been here?”

“Um, you mean like, floating away in a Tornado?”

Caught off guard by her answer, Dean bellowed with laughter.

“Uh no, not that kind of Kansas experience.”

“Oh, well, what were you thinking?”

Dean glanced at Sammy who was practically dancing in his stance.

“Well, I was kind of thinking that uh, maybe I could.....show you the charm of a small town.....some night.....if you’re free......if....you want.”

Sammy bounced up and down as he stared at Buffy.

“Say yes say yes say yes!” he roared.

Buffy giggled at Sammy’s excitement.

“Oh, wow, you have your own cheerleader,” she teased. “Who could say no to that, huh?”

Sammy stopped bouncing and looked at her expectantly. Buffy gulped as she shifted her eyes to Dean. 

_Maybe it was a miscommunication, she thought._

“Um, sure, yes, it’d be nice to see the town through the eyes of a long time resident.”

Dean blew out a breath, amazed at the wealth of nerves that had rattled his system before she had answered. Rejection never used to bother him before Sammy was around. 

“Okay, well, great,” he said. “I guess we’ll talk more about it later.”

Buffy nodded and flashed a shy smile. “Okay.....oh, um....do you have my home number?”

“Yeah, it’s on your paperwork,” he answered.

“Oh okay, um, then just call me after five, I should be home,” she said.

Dean nodded as he took Sammy’s hand.

“Where’d you park?”

“At the lot across the library,” she stated.

“Oh, that’s on our way, so why don’t you let us walk you? It’s pretty late.”

Buffy nodded as she stepped off the curb. A short walk later, Buffy paused at her car and smiled at Sammy.

“Bye sweetie, make sure to brush your teeth,” she said. 

Sammy nodded emphatically. “Okay, bye Buffy!”

Buffy shifted her eyes to Dean and beamed a smile.

“I’ll uh, talk to you later?”

“Yeah, I’ll give you a call. Have a good night.”

“You too,” she said.

After a brief moment, Dean tugged Sammy down the walk. 

“Daddy, are you going to bring her to our house after your grown up date?”

“Uh...no Sammy, I don’t think I’ll be doing that,” he said.

“Why not?”

“It’s grown up stuff Sammy,” Dean answered. “Just let daddy take things from here, okay?”

“Okay,” Sammy replied.

Dean checked traffic before stepping off the curb.

“Geez, my six year old is playing cupid,” he grumbled softly.

He shook his head as he tugged Sammy toward the parking lot.


	5. The Long Kiss Goodnight

Later the next morning, little Sammy was roused by the delightful aroma of corn pies wafting through the crack in his bedroom window. He let out a long yawn and stretched before he bolted out of his bedroom. He ran down the hallway to his daddy’s room and found it empty. He darted down the stairs and looked in the kitchen. He heard the shrieks of electrical tools outside and peeked out the side door leading to the backyard. 

“Daddy, daddy, is Buffy here?”

Dean paused from hammering a plank on the deck he and Xander spent the past couple of months tackling off and on. He wiped a thick coat of sweat from his face and inhaled a deep breath.

“No, why do you ask that?”

Sammy pushed the screen door open and started to move outside.

“Stay there Sammy, it’s way too dangerous out here.”

Sammy perched in the doorway and saw a wooden frame and several stacks of wood piled around the yard. 

“I smelled corn pie, I thought Buffy was making them for us.”

“The pies are at the Corn Festival going on downtown.”

“Oh. Did Buffy stay here last night?”

“No, Sammy, she didn’t stay here.”

“She left without saying goodbye?”

Dean blinked with shock before he let out a breath.

“Uh, no Sammy, she didn’t say goodbye because she wasn’t here. We walked her to her car last night and watched her drive away. Remember?”

“Oh. She didn’t come by when I went to sleep?”

“No, now go back inside. I’ll be in to get you some breakfast in a few minutes okay?”

“What are you building?”

“A deck so we can sit out here when the weather is decent.”

“How long is that going to take?”

“A couple hours at least Sammy, your Uncle Xander is doing his best to help me as much as he can today but he’s got a lot on his plate too.”

“Are you building it for Buffy so she can cook out there?”

Dean noticed Xander had stopped hammering upon hearing this question. 

“Uh, no Sammy, I’ve been wanting to build this out for awhile, our backyard needs a lot of work.”

“Buffy can plant some flowers when she stays here.”

Dean blinked several times in wonder before he shaded red in front of Xander.

“Uh, go back inside and figure out what you want for breakfast Sammy, I’ll be there in a little bit.”

“Have you called Buffy yet daddy?”

“No, Sammy, not yet.”

“Are you going to call her today?”

“Uh, I’m not sure, I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

Dean drew out a long breath to steady his growing impatience. 

“Do you want me to call her for you?”

Dean widened his eyes. “No, no Sammy, you’ve uh….you’ve done enough. Now go inside please.”

Sammy let out a deep sigh.

“Sammy, I told you to let me handle this.”

“Okay,” Sammy replied softly.

Sammy slowly turned away from the door and shuffled back into the kitchen.

“Wow, he’s really campaigning hard for a mommy,” Xander remarked.

“Yeah, I guess he’s tired of it just being a boys club around here,” Dean lamented. 

Xander eyed the sparse backyard with just manicured grass and a pair of plastic lawn chairs. 

“Well, he is pretty smart for a six year old. You could use a woman’s decorating skill around here.”

Dean noticed Xander’s assessment and let out an amused chuckle.

“Okay, so I’m not going to win any home gardening awards but come on, it looks better than that cornfield you got growing in your backyard.”

“Yeah, okay, so Anya and I are lacking in the green thumbage but at least I’ve got a woman’s approval to neglect the yard for a time being. It sounds like Sammy’s got Buffy moved in and walking down the aisle in the span of a week.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. He keeps asking me every five minutes if I’ve called her yet.”

“Well, have you?”

Dean shifted his focus back on the plank. 

“No. I uh, I’ve just kind of been sitting with it for awhile….”

Dean worked in a few more nails before he straightened and crossed to a small cooler. He flipped the lid and pulled out a cold bottle of water before he settled down on the plastic lawn chair.

“Say uh Xander, what did you and Anya do on your first date?”

Xander stopped pounding a nail into a wood base. 

“Um, we made Jack,” he gulped.

Dean paused for a brief moment before he shined recognition.

“Oh, yeah, right,” he said. “Well, as fantastic as that sounds…..Buffy doesn’t strike me as the ‘procreate on a first date’ type of girl, so I’m really out of my element here. I mean, you knew me before Sammy was around. I didn’t date girls, I took them a few feet from the bar to the Red Lamp Motel after a few beers and a spoonful of charm. I haven’t got a clue on the rules of dating, or what is expected of me, or…..what to even do on a date. I’ve never really been on one. I don’t know how long I’m supposed to wait before calling – or how late is too late…..”

After another long pause and an equally long sip, he shook his head.

“Okay, I think I know why I never bothered to get in the dating scene,” he said. “It seems so complicated. What do you think man? Should I call the day after I mentioned going out or does that make me come off looking too eager? If I wait a week, will she think I’m telling her I’m not interested anymore? Geez, I am pathetic, I’m rambling on and on like a guy who has never been on a date.”

“Well, you haven’t, if we’re not counting those triple whammy blind dates a couple years ago.”

Dean took pause before he nodded. “Oh, yeah right, well considering I bailed early on those nights, I’d say yeah, not worth counting and I didn’t set any of those up anyway. So, aside from that, I feel like I’m in a foreign country here.”

Xander blinked several times before he gawked at him. Dean noticed his look.

“What?”

“Sorry, don’t mean to stare, it’s just a shock to me to see Smooth Moves Winchester so nervous about a girl.”

“Yeah, tell me about it, I never had to second guess things so much but every move I make now effects Sammy. I can’t stand to disappoint that kid.”

“Well, Sammy’s got good instincts about people,” Xander remarked. “And Buffy has shown you how good she is with kids, so at least you get that big question out of the way. Your date might actually last through the night.”

“Yeah I know, that kind of freaks me out a little.”

After a long moment, Dean drew out a breath and eyed Xander.

“So what do you think man? Should I call soon or let some time pass?”

Xander gulped, “I’m really not the one to ask, I mean you were the one to set me up with Anya.”

“Right, it seems I’m really good at setting other people up but I can’t even set something up for myself. I guess I’ll ask….”

Dean thought briefly on calling Oz but recalled his whole cheese conversation last time around and dismissed that idea. 

“Someone.”

A few minutes later, Dean got to his feet and went into the kitchen. Once he got Sammy settled with breakfast and a movie for later, he returned to help Xander. 

When the deck was finished, Dean gathered up the tools and walked Xander out. After he showered and helped himself to a plate of breakfast, he sat down with Sammy and caught the end of a space movie. 

“When are you going on your grown up date with Buffy?”

Dean drew out another long breath. “Well, she and I need to figure that out.”

“Will it be soon?”

Sam widened his eyes in wonder. Dean couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement.

“Yeah, it should be soon Sammy.”

“And then she can be my mommy?”

Dean stopped laughing. “Uh, no, kiddo, not after one date.”

“Two dates?”

Dean let out a loud sigh. “Are you sick of it just being me and you Sammy?”

Sammy shook his head. “No but I like Buffy, I think she’ll be a good mommy.”

“Well I’m really glad you like her Sammy, I do, but I told you before, there is a lot of grown up stuff that I need to figure out, that she and I need to…..find out about each other.”

Sammy stared at his daddy with great curiosity for a brief moment. Dean noticed his questioning eyes and rubbed the hair on the top of his head.

“Just give me some time to figure things out, okay?”

Sammy nodded and picked up his plate.

“What are you going to do on your date daddy?”

Sammy walked along side his daddy as he went into the kitchen. Dean took Sammy’s plate and rinsed it under the sink.

“I don’t know kiddo, what do you think we should do?”

Sammy scratched his head.

“Um, you can go on a hayride, Buffy liked that.”

Dean put the plates aside and let out a chuckle.

“Uh yeah, I don’t think so Sammy, that hayride didn’t exactly go over so well the first time.”

“Well, how about the Pizza Arcade?”

Dean chuckled again. 

“Sammy, she’s not six, although if she wanted to go there, that’s a pretty cheap date.”

Dean glanced down at Sammy and stopped laughing when he saw the boy’s genuine cluelessness. 

“I’ll figure something out,” he said. “Come on, let’s get you showered and dressed so we can go out and run a few errands.”

 

The next afternoon, Buffy and Willow ate their lunch in the teachers lounge. Willow bounced in her seat after Buffy updated her about the close of the Halloween festival. 

“So did he call you yet?!”

Buffy giggled at Willow’s wide eyed excitement.

“Um no but it’s only been a day and....he is busy with Sammy.”

“But he said he’d call you, right?”

Buffy nodded, prompting Willow to bounce in her seat even more fervently.

“Oh! That’s great! You guys are going to go on a date! And then you and I can double date! Oh! Oh!”

Buffy brushed a gentle hand on Willow’s shoulder.

“Breathe Will, breathe,” she said. 

Willow flapped her hands in the air and took several breaths. 

“Sorry, I get overly excited sometimes,” she replied. “I’m just so happy he asked you out. So what are you guys going to do?”

Buffy shrugged casually as she munched on a piece of carrot cake. 

“Um, he mentioned some sort of tour of the town, to show its charm.”

“Hmm, that sounds interesting, I can’t wait to hear about it. You have to call me as soon as you get back from your date,” Willow replied emphatically. 

“Um, okay.”

“What are you going to wear?”

Buffy paused before she stuffed another piece of cake in her mouth.

“Uh, I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it. I mean, until I know what we’re going to do, I can’t really figure that out yet.”

“Oh right, well, how will you wear your hair?”

Buffy smiled at Willow’s eager expression. After a few minutes of talking about hairstyles, they gravitated toward another topic of discussion.

 

Dean shifted his sights away from the hood of a Ford when he noticed the Sheriff’s car pulling up in the parking lot of the auto shop. 

“Uh oh, what’d you do Dean?” 

Dean glanced at Richie, one of his mechanics and shook his head.

“I guess my life on the run is over, dammit,” he joked. 

Bobby ambled through the garage and eyed Dean, Caleb and Richie with a mock frown.

“You boys look suspicious,” he teased.

After a round of jokes and laughter, Dean hung back with Bobby as the others went back to work.

“What brings you by Bobby?”

“I got a couple of squad cars with some dead batteries.”

“Oh, why didn’t you just call? I would have run them over.”

Bobby shrugged as he followed Dean to the stock room.

“I was driving by anyway,” he said. “Why haven’t you and Sammy been by? Ellen sure misses you both. She feels like she hasn’t seen Sammy since he was a baby.”

Dean drew a guilty expression as he swung through the stock room door.

“Yeah, sorry, I know I haven’t stopped by in quite awhile – I know Ellen doesn’t like excuses but....I’ve got a million of them.....but I can’t think of any right now.”

“Is one of them, spending a lot of time with Sammy’s ‘new mommy’?”

Dean blinked several times in surprise and embarrassment.

“Uh....no, oh god, what did that kid tell you?”

Bobby chuckled as Dean shaded a deep red. 

“He seems to like her and I noticed at the Pony Corral that she was very attentive to him.”

Dean paused to absorb this bit of information before he looked over the rows of batteries. 

“You two been datin’ long?”

Dean pulled a few batteries off the shelf and set them on a counter.

“Uh, no, not at....all actually.”

“Well, whatcha waitin’ for? It’s not too often a kid likes someone for their daddy and Buffy sure seems very nice.”

“Yeah, she is nice and she’s really good with Sammy.”

“So whatcha waitin’ for? Scoop her up and hold on to her for dear life.”

Dean blew out a breath in amazement. “You know, it wasn’t too long ago when you used to tell me to get rid of these girls you’d see me with.”

“Well, before Sammy was around, you were a punk,” Bobby replied frankly. 

Dean hung his head down in a brief moment of regret.

“Yeah, I know.”

“But you done good since then Dean,” Bobby added. “Ellen and I are very proud of how you have turned your life around, all without our help.”

Dean hitched his eyes back up to Bobby.

“I didn’t have a choice. You and Ellen refused to help me.”

“Yeah but look how great of a dad you turned out to be, you should thank us.”

After a short minute, Dean let out a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, I really should.”

Bobby picked out the batteries and followed Dean back out to the garage. 

“Ellen wants you and Sammy to stop by the restaurant tonight for dinner, no excuses.”

“Okay, it’ll be nice to have a meal I don’t have make, we’ll be there.”

Bobby and Dean shook hands before they both went back to work.

 

Sammy skipped through the door of Ellen’s Family Restaurant and grinned when he inhaled the aroma of pasta sauce and cheesy goodness. An older woman with dark brown hair flashed a maternal smile at Sammy as he bolted toward the hostess stand.

Dean ambled in after Sammy as Ellen came over to greet them.  
Sammy looked up at his daddy for an introduction. She looked too old to be vying for the mommy title but he wasn’t sure. 

Ellen gave Dean a warm hug before she examined him.

“You look tired sweetie, are you getting any sleep?”

“Yeah, but this little guy keeps me busy during the day.”

“Well come on back and have yourself a nice meal.”

Dean glanced down at Sammy.

“Sammy, did you give your Aunt Ellen a hug?”

Sammy shook his head as he looked up at Ellen. She was nice to his daddy so he liked her. He ran over to her and gave her a big hug. 

“Hi Auntie Ellen!”

“Hi sweetie, I’ve missed you,” Ellen replied sweetly. 

Ellen got Dean and Sammy settled into a corner booth near the back of the restaurant. Dean nodded in acknowledgment to a few of his customers who were dining around him. 

Sammy chatted with Ellen for a little awhile and liked how she listened to him intently. 

“You boys feel like lasagna or ziti?”

Sammy danced in his seat. “Lasagna! Lasagna!”

Ellen laughed at Sammy’s enthusiasm. “I’ll get the order in right away sweetie.”

Ellen glanced at Dean.

“Beer?”

Dean cracked a smile. 

“If you insist, but uh, with dinner.”

A short time later, Ellen returned with a basket of warm bread and drinks. She sat and conversed with Dean and Sammy before the dinner rush hit and took her away for awhile. 

Sammy munched on bread and delicious cheesy noodles when a young blonde woman wandered over to the table. She had on a similar uniform like his uncle Bobby’s. He eyed her curiously as she and his daddy exchanged a hug. 

“Sammy, you remember Ellen’s daughter Jo? She used to baby sit you a few times when you were really little.”

Sammy feigned acknowledgment and nodded. 

“She’s a sheriff like Uncle Bobby?”

“Deputy Sheriff,” Dean clarified. “She works with Uncle Bobby.”

Jo widened her eyes at Sammy. 

“God, he’s getting so big,” Jo replied. “He was still in diapers when I last saw him.”

“Oh come on, it hasn’t been that long since I’ve had dinner at Bobby and Ellen’s.”

“Mom says it’s been at least four months.”

Dean blinked with surprise. “Really? I guess time flies when you’re a single dad. Anyway, is Cass with you or did he play hooky this morning?”

“No, he’s still got the flu, I’m just picking up some soup that mom made for him.”

Ellen dropped by to check on Dean and Sammy. After she and Jo exchanged hugs, the women disappeared for a time. 

A little while later, Ellen brought out a huge ice cream sundae for Sammy. Sammy widened his eyes in delight and licked his lips. Ellen sat beside Sammy and smiled as he dove into the dessert. Dean glanced at Ellen with a look of envy.

“Hey, where’s mine?”

“Go scoop your own,” Ellen barked lightly. 

Dean rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Guess the rules haven’t changed.”

“Don’t you forget it,” Ellen replied. 

Jo bid goodbye to the three of them. As she started to walk away, Dean thought back to a question pressing on his mind. He slipped out of the booth and caught up to her. 

“I’ll walk you out,” he said. 

Jo glanced at Dean with curious eyes as they swept through the door and into the adjacent parking lot. 

“What’s up?” she asked.

Dean leaned against the car and drew out a breath.

“When I hooked you up with Cass and I told you when I gave him your number.....how long did it take before he asked you out?”

Jo took pause as she cracked the driver side door open.

“Two or three days I think.”

“And were you okay with that? Were you mad he waited so long?”

Jo eyed him suspiciously.

“What’s this about?”

“Just....humor me for a second.”

Jo shut the door and leaned against it. 

“No, I wasn’t mad, I was pretty busy at the time studying for my sheriff’s exam so it wasn’t like I was waiting around for him to call....”

Jo suddenly broke into a smile.

“Who’s the girl that you don’t want to make mad?”

“I’m surprised Bobby didn’t mention it or...post it on the bulletin board at the station.”

“I’ve been off for a couple days. Anyway, who is she? New in town?”

“Yeah, I uh, helped her out with her car and then she met Sammy....not the way I wanted her to but.....anyway, Sammy’s over the moon about her and honestly, I am interested but.....”

“The former Mattress King has no skills in the dating department.”

Dean groaned as Jo laughed. “Jesus, who the hell told you about that name?”

Jo shrugged. “I hear stories when I’m out in the field.”

“Oh god,” Dean groaned. “I really thought I killed everyone who knew my old reputation.”

He squeaked out a chuckle before he got back on topic. 

“What did you and Cass do on your first date?”

“We had dinner and then went to an art house showing of that old movie “I’m No Angel”.”

“Oh. And did you two, you know, say......goodnight?”

Jo grinned. “Are you asking me if he kissed me on the first date?”

“No......maybe...oh Jesus, I’m a damn gossipy girl. Forget I asked.”

Dean drew a mild look of disgust as he shook his head. 

“When did you get her number?”

Dean let out a long breath. “I already have it, I fixed her car so it’s on her paperwork.”

“Well, when did you mention going out?”

“Uh, I asked her on Saturday that I’d call....at some point.”

“And she said she was interested?”

“Well, I hope so but she did have the incessant cheering of a six year old to coax her into it, so who knows.”

Dean shifted in his stance as he raked a hand through his hair.

“I don’t know why it’s so damn difficult for me to ask a girl out.”

“You’re thinking about Sammy.”

“Yeah, yeah I am. I can’t stand when his heart gets broken. Remember when he had that huge crush on that girl Madison in kindergarten? Then when her parents got divorced and she moved away, he moped and cried for weeks. I couldn’t stand it.”

“Yeah, mom said you almost maxed out your credit card buying him anything he wanted to cheer him up.”

“I did. He gets so attached to people he really likes and I’m just afraid that if it doesn’t work out with Buffy, it’s going to be Madison part two, you know?”

Dean sighed as Jo checked her watch.

“Call her tomorrow or when you get home tonight, set something up – all that ‘wait this long’ stuff is just a bunch of crap. If you want to go out with her and she said she would, why do you need wait one day or two days? So just go for it. Don’t worry about Sammy, he’s a strong kid, he’ll bounce back if it doesn’t work out.”

Jo cracked her door open as Dean pivoted toward the restaurant.

“Oh and Dean?”

Dean shifted around as Jo smiled.

“I was the one who said goodnight to Cass,” she admitted. “So if you don’t know how to play it, let her roll with it.”

 

Dean returned to the dining area to find Sammy working on the second layer of his sundae. His mouth and hands were drenched in chocolate syrup. 

“Daddy! Auntie Ellen says I can walk the dog when we go to her house, can we go there now?”

“Not tonight Sammy, you’ve got school tomorrow.”

Sammy sunk with disappointment as he pushed his sundae glass aside.

“We’ll drop by on a weekend, okay? Now let’s go get you cleaned up.”

Ellen walked them to the front door after they returned from the washroom. Sammy grinned and waved to Ellen. She waved back and gave the boys hugs.

“Don’t be a stranger,” she said. 

Dean held the door open for Sammy.

“And Dean? Make sure you bring by this new girl that’s going to be Sammy’s mommy.”

Dean widened his eyes as Ellen chuckled. After a moment, he shuffled Sammy out of the restaurant.

“Sammy,” Dean groaned. “Please stop telling people that.”

 

Later in the evening, after putting Sammy to bed, Dean settled down in the living room and shuffled through the Arts and Entertainment section of the newspaper. He eyed the clock as the night seemed to slip away. He rummaged through his invoice copies for several minutes before he fished out his phone. He angled back onto the couch and gave himself a little pep talk.

“Okay Dean, you can do this man, this kind of stuff is easy for you, come on. She already said she’d go out with you, so stop this crazy second guessing crap and call.”

He blew out a deep breath before he glanced at the number on the invoice.

 

Buffy let out a contented sigh as she sipped from a mug of hot chocolate and curled up on her couch. After her first busy day of student meetings and an arduous two hours of painting her bedroom, she was aching for some relaxation. It was a little after nine when she heard her cell phone ringing faintly. She got to her feet and rummaged through several pockets of her coat before she found her phone buried at the bottom of her purse. 

“Hello?”

“Buffy, hey, it’s Dean, I hope I didn’t uh...wake you or anything.”

Buffy curled back on her couch and blinked before she giggled.

“No, I don’t have a six year old’s bedtime hours,” she teased. 

“Oh uh, yeah, right, sorry, I guess I’m just used to six year old hours in general.”

She heard him let out a brief, low laugh. 

“How is Sammy?”

“He’s good, thanks for asking. Is this a good time to talk for a little bit? I can call back if you’re busy.”

Buffy took a long sip from her cocoa and sighed softly.

“Mmm, I’m just winding down after a long day.”

After a brief exchange of work updates, they drifted back on topic.

“Are you still going to be my tour guide?” she asked.

“Yeah, yeah absolutely. There are a couple of things going on this weekend so I wanted to know what day is good for you.”

Buffy set her mug down and yanked a blanket over herself.

“Whatever is good for you, I know you have to work around Sammy.”

“Well, I’ve got Little League practice until about seven thirty on Friday so let’s shoot for Saturday evening.”

“Okay, that sounds good, what do you have in mind? A history lesson through town?”

“God, that would be one hell of a boring date, wouldn’t it?”

She joined in on his burst of laughter. 

“You’re probably all festivaled out huh?”

“Honestly, yes,” she confessed. 

“Okay, that makes it easy to cross those off the list, there are like six going on this weekend. If you’re aching for some culture, we could go to the Historical Museum but I have to admit, it’s pretty much a yawn fest but the snack bar is awesome......”

Buffy giggled briefly into the line. 

“We have a farmhouse down at Frosty Creek that has a drive in theater, the oldest one in town...”

“Oh, a drive in theater, that’s cool, I’ve never been and it sounds like a real Kansas thing to do, so count me in. What’s playing?”

“This month is the Steve McQueen series, so Saturday they’re showing Bullitt.”

“Oh, I’ve never seen it but I like old movies.”

“Okay, good, I figure I’ll swing by and get you around six.”

“Okay. Is there anywhere we can eat at the drive in?”

“It’s mostly concession stand fare but we can stop somewhere for dinner.”

“Well, how about I just pack like a picnic dinner?”

“You don’t have to go to the trouble, I can afford a meal that isn’t on the kids menu you know.”

Buffy abruptly giggled into the phone. 

“Well, I insist on taking care of dinner, since I still feel like I owe you for the whole car heater thing.”

After a brief pause, he cleared his throat.

“Uh, what car heater thing? I uh, have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Buffy snickered softly. “Oh, I um, I guess I was mistaken about that. Anyway, I’ll just make a couple of things, no big. I kind of felt bad that I didn’t save you any of my samples from my hot sandwich stand after I saw your reaction.”

“Oh okay, you’ve convinced me not to buy you dinner. Maybe I should pick you up in the afternoon so we can go to the three dollar matinee. This is working out to be a really cheap date.”

She smiled at the low lilt in his laugh. After a little more small chat, they wrapped up their conversation. A few minutes after she hung up with Dean, she dialed Willow. 

“Hey it’s me, I told you I was going to let you know when he called......yeah he did.....Saturday night......breathe Will, breathe!”

 

***  
Friday afternoon, Buffy strolled along the sidewalk through downtown Lawrence, eyeing the outfits on display in various boutique shop windows. After perusing through her wardrobe, she had found almost every article she considered wearing reminded her of a bad date. Since she had moved to this town determined to have a fresh start, she saw fit to purchase a few new outfits. 

After a block, she ambled into a cute boutique with several long sleeve tops displayed in the window. She wandered through the shop and picked through a rack of colorful knit sweaters. A young woman with light brown hair wandered over to her. 

“Can I help you find something?” she asked.

“Oh I’m just looking, thanks.”

The sales girl followed her to another rack.

“Daytime or evening?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you looking for something for daytime or evening?”

“Um, evening actually.”

“Indoors or outdoors?”

“Um, outdoors, at the....drive in.”

The girl nodded with acknowledgment. 

“Got a date?”

“Um, yes.”

“Anyone I know? I know everyone.”

The sales girl narrowed her eyes curiously. 

“Except you,” she corrected. “I haven’t met you. You’re new in town.”

Buffy nodded and gave a polite smile. 

“Yes, I’m Buffy.”

“Anya, this is my shop.”

“Oh, it’s very quaint.”

“And successful,” Anya pointed. 

Buffy was a little taken aback by Anya’s comment but she responded in kind.

“Oh, um, that’s great.”

Buffy moved toward another rack of clothing. Anya followed closely behind her.

“So, who are you going out to the drive in with?”

“Um, I’m going with....Dean Winchester.”

Anya brightened. “Oh. That well isn’t running dry anymore. Well, you will have many orgasms on your date.”

Buffy swallowed back her shock at Anya’s straightforward remark. She was amazed that Anya didn’t show an ounce of embarrassment or shame at her tactless honesty. After a long minute to absorb her abrupt attitude, Buffy gulped with awkwardness.

“Uh....”

She yanked off a random top from the rack.

“Does this come in um...green?”

Anya snatched the top from her and shuffled Buffy over to a rack of intimate wear. Anya grabbed a hanger and displayed it to Buffy.

“Perhaps you’d be more interested in this,” Anya replied.

Buffy stared at Anya’s bold suggestion.

“Um, there’s....nothing on that hanger.”

“Precisely.”

Buffy gulped back another helping of awkwardness before she forced a courteous smile on her face.

“Uh, no thank you.”

Anya shrugged indifferently.

“Suit yourself.”

Anya wandered off for a few minutes. Buffy drifted back to a rack that had caught her interest and picked out a few knit sweaters. Anya returned at her side holding several with small canisters.

“Can I interest you in some body butter? Or maybe you would prefer this therapeutic hypo allergenic lotion to help soothe the intense numbing sensation you will have after your many orgasms.”

Buffy widened her eyes in disbelief. 

“You’re not from around here, are you?” she asked.

“You are going out with Dean right? Dean the Mattress King?”

Buffy blinked several times, doubting what she had just heard.

“Um, sorry, the what?”

“The Mattress King, that’s what they call him.”

Buffy felt a pang in her stomach and winced slightly.

“Um, are you sure you’ve got the right guy? I mean, Dean has a kid.”

Anya nodded. “Yes, how do you think he got that kid?”

Buffy hated being rude but she was completely appalled by Anya’s lack of concern about divulging personal information about other people’s lives. If she had been in L.A., she would have brushed the comment off, knowing the mentality of the locals but after a short time in Lawrence, she had grown fond of the courteous and tactful manner of the residents. She stamped back the biting comment tickling the base of her throat and simply went back to looking through the clothes rack. 

Anya looked around at her customers before she leaned closer to Buffy.

“You didn’t hear it from me but, before Sammy came along, Dean was a big time skirt chaser, young or old, it didn’t matter to him. Had I moved to town a few months before Sammy was born, I would have had the fortune of having many orgasms too......”

Buffy gulped down a larger helping of awkwardness and held up her selections, desperate for a distraction and the opportunity to bow out of the uncomfortable situation. 

“Um, I’m going to go with these.”

Anya shrugged. “Very well.”

Buffy followed Anya to the cash register and quickly retrieved her wallet. Anya paused in ringing up her purchases. 

“How about some bubble bath beads? You’ll need to relax and rest after Dean has ravaged you.”

Buffy gulped as Anya displayed an assortment of mesh bags packed with scented bath beads. 

“I mean, six years of raising a child leaves no time for simple pleasures. I’m sure he’s looking forward to unloading all that male repression on you. You’re a very lucky woman if he’s interested in you. Your total is twenty-four fifty.”

Buffy anxiously peeled out her cash and dropped it on the counter as Anya bagged her purchases. 

Anya pulled the receipt off the till and handed it to Buffy along with her change.

“Thank you for your money,” Anya said flatly. 

“Um, thank you, for your.....um help,” Buffy replied. 

“Yes, enjoy those orgasms,” Anya remarked coolly.

Buffy swallowed a hard lump in her throat before she bounded out of the store.

 

Late Saturday afternoon, Sammy raced through the house, helping his daddy clean up. A short time later, he jumped around his daddy’s bedroom in excitement, waiting for him to come out of the shower. After a minute, he wandered away. 

Dean drifted into the bedroom and found Sammy rifling through the closet. 

“Sammy, what are you doing in here?”

“Daddy, you should wear this tonight.”

Dean glanced at the attire Sammy was tugging.

“You’re picking out my clothes?”

He shook his head in amazement. 

“You’ll look nice in this daddy.”

“Maybe so Sammy but I can’t wear that. That’s the suit I wore to your Uncle Xander’s wedding. It’s too formal.”

“Oh. Well, what about this?”

Dean gently ushered Sammy out of the closet.

“I can handle dressing myself Sammy but thanks for your thoughts. Now go downstairs and look at the movie rental guides I left on the coffee table. Kennedy is coming over in a little bit and she’ll pick up some movies for you after you eat.”

Sammy hung in the doorway and beamed a smile.

“Can I do anything to help? Shall I make the bed for you and Buffy?”

“Uh no Sammy, just go downstairs and let me get ready okay?”

Sammy grinned and nodded before he skipped off down the hall. Dean shook his head as he closed the door. 

“He’s cupid and a fashion critic,” he groaned.

 

Sammy bolted after his daddy after seeing him walk into the kitchen. 

“Are you going on your date now?”

“Yeah, in a little bit kiddo.”

Dean heard the doorbell and ambled through the living door. He let Kennedy inside and gave Sammy a quick hug goodbye. He eyed his watch before regarding Kennedy.

“I’ve got you until ten?” 

Kennedy nodded as Sammy bounced in his seat. 

“Okay, make sure he’s in bed by then, we have a game tomorrow.”

“Bye daddy! Have fun with Buffy!” 

Sammy waved as he beamed a smile. 

 

Buffy glanced at the clock on her dresser as she finished up curling her hair. She released the iron from a lock of her hair and secured the curl with some hairspray. After going with the a knit pink v neck sweater she had bought, she picked out a pair of deep brown khaki slacks and her matching leather boots. She had found her favorite pink scarf that her mom had knitted for her many years ago along with a pair of gloves, just in case the weather dropped into intolerable temperatures by the evening. 

She kept her makeup subtle with just pale and natural shades. She was never one to spend hours putting her face on when she had such a hectic life in California. After a quick study in the mirror, she put her stuff away. 

At a few minutes before six, she heard the doorbell ring. She collected her purse and coat and drifted to the kitchen to get her storage case. She set the case beside the door and pulled on the knob. She drew a warm smile.

“Hi, you’re right on time,” she remarked. “You’re not just punctual in your profession.”

Dean drew a deep breath as he absorbed the absolute natural beauty of the girl standing before him. 

“Uh....thanks.....” he said. 

He blinked out of his marvel and smiled.

“You look....amazing.”

Buffy drew a smile. “Oh, thank you.”

She towed the large case behind her as she pulled the door shut. Dean widened his eyes at the enormous stainless steel cooler.

“Wow, are you bringing a restaurant with you?”

She drew a sheepish smile as he laughed for a bit. 

“I know it seems a little much but it’s a dual temperature cooler, hot food stays hot, cold stays cold. It’s the best invention ever.”

As she started to tug the cooler out the door, Dean swiped it from her. 

“Let me take that for you,” he said. “I figure I should work for my meal anyway.”

Buffy beamed an appreciative smile.

“Thank you.”

At the car, Dean swung the passenger side door open. Buffy flashed him another smile as she eased into the passenger seat.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Buffy watched Dean as he set the cooler in the backseat. He caught her gaze and smiled. It wasn’t an overtly flirtatious smile she would have expected from a seasoned skirt chaser, the kind of smile that said, “You know you want me” but more of a warm, amicable one. She reciprocated back a smile. 

After he got in the car, Buffy studied him a little more. Despite Anya’s uncomfortable revelations about Dean, she was a strong believer that past experiences shaped and influenced your actions in the future. Who he was then was not who he was now. She was usually a good judge of character but she couldn’t help but hear Anya’s rumblings in her head.

The past is the past, she thought. 

Buffy brushed aside her concerns and kept an open mind as Dean swung out of her neighborhood. 

“So have you settled into your small town life yet big city girl?”

“Well, to be honest, it was rough the first few nights. L.A. is such a ‘go go go’ lifestyle that I actually had to force myself to stand in the same place for ten minutes. But now I’ve finally hit my groove.”

“That’s good to hear,” he said. “You’ve certainly gotten into the whole festival spirit.”

“Yeah that was fun but exhausting,” she remarked. “What did you and Sammy do today?”

Dean eyed the cross traffic before he beamed an appreciative smile. He was incredibly impressed by how often she brought up Sammy. 

“We went out and ran a bunch of boring errands so I bought him a chemistry kit afterwards.”

“Aw, you spoil him,” she replied with a smile.

“No, I’m just weak when it comes to him.”

Dean laughed at himself as he veered toward the historical part of town. Buffy glanced at the block of buildings as Dean dished out a few facts about the town. A short time later, Dean eased onto a short highway and soon passed by several acres of farmland. When an old looking dark blue car with a white racing stripe sped by in the opposite lane, Buffy noticed Dean brighten with admiration.

“Nice,” he lauded.

She smiled as he watched the car drive by. Dean glanced at Buffy and noticed the wonder in her eyes. 

“Seventy-five Gran Turino, like the one in Starsky and Hutch,” he imparted.

She nodded. “Oh. Wow. You’re like an encyclopedia for the classic car ignorant folk. But then again, I suppose you need to have an appreciation of cars to be a mechanic huh? How did you get into that profession?”

Dean made a quick turn onto a dirt road before he regarded Buffy.

“Well, I sort of just fell into it,” he said. “I never really liked school because I wasn’t interested in anything that was taught but with cars...it was the only thing I got juiced about you know? So I guess, education wise it was the only subject I ever excelled at.”

“Now you have your own business,” she pointed. “I’d say you’ve done pretty well for yourself.”

Buffy eyed the scenery for a minute before she took notice of the mileage signs.

“So is Frosty Creek really that during the winter time?”

Dean caught her engaging smile and inhaled a breath before he answered.

“Actually, it’s more like “Freezing Cold” Creek,” he joked. 

“Oh, well I can’t wait until we get snowfall,” she remarked.

Dean let out a long laugh. “Wow, you are probably the only resident in this town who is genuinely enthusiastic about the winter......you won’t be for long once it actually hits. Have you bought a snow shovel yet?”

Buffy drummed up her mental list. “Um, no....I didn’t even think about that. It’s a good thing you mentioned it otherwise I’ll probably get snowed in, huh?”

“Oh yeah, not that that is a bad thing, if you hate your job,” he said. 

“Well, I’ll add that to my growing to do list,” she replied.

Dean glanced over at her as she swung her eyes out the window. A blanket of blonde curls bounced around her face. He watched her as she admired the old farms along the road until she caught his eyes. He quickly shifted his sight to the highway and made a lane change. After a few more miles, he pulled into a large grassy field and found a spot near the center to park. 

Buffy looked over the drive in area and saw several cars pulling in around her. Off to the right of the theater were a bank of red picnic tables under a large awning. There was a long u-shaped concession stand offering an assortment of treats and beverages as well as an old fashioned milk shake and ice cream stand. She had spent so much time absorbing the charm of the place that she hadn’t noticed her car door was hanging wide open. 

She blinked out of her dreamy daze and smiled at Dean who was leaning over the door. She collected her coat and spilled out of the car. They strolled over to an empty picnic table and settled down as several more cars peeled into the area. 

As Buffy started to set up the table, Dean got up and eyed the line at the beverage station. After she gave her drink request, he wandered away for a time. 

Dean returned with their drinks he glanced at the table dressed with paper plates and plastic utensils wrapped in napkins. 

“You go all out, don’t you?” he teased.

Buffy flashed a sheepish smile as she pulled out two sandwiches wrapped neatly in foil and handed one to Dean. 

“I hope you like chicken parmesan,” she said. 

Dean stared at the sandwich in his hands like it was a bar of gold.

“I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to this moment,” he confessed with a goofy grin.

Buffy giggled at the sheer delight on his face as he eagerly picked off the foil with all the intense excitement of a child unwrapping presents on Christmas day. 

Dean inhaled the incredible aroma wafting from the sandwich and grinned again.

“It smells amazing,” he said emphatically. 

He took a deep breath before he bit down on a sauce laden corner of the sandwich. His eyes drifted shut as he let out a soft moan. 

“Oh....my....god,” he moaned jubilantly. 

He devoured a few more bites as Buffy snickered at his extreme enjoyment of such a simple meal. 

“This is the best sandwich I have ever had in my entire life!” he cried softly. “All those flavors....so saucy and....it’s like....heaven in my mouth!”

After a few more bites, he moaned contentedly again as Buffy fished out two plastic containers from the cold side of the cooler.

“I made some potato salad too, or would you rather have macaroni salad?”

Dean shifted his eyes back and forth several times between the two temptations. 

“Uh.....how about potato salad on top of that macaroni salad?”

Buffy let out a short giggle as she noticed the agony on his face as he tried to make a choice. She popped the tops of both containers and spooned out a little of both onto his plate.

“Here,” she said. 

Dean let out a breath of relief as he gave an apologetic smile. “I uh, didn’t want to come off like a glutton.” 

Buffy giggled again as she waved a hand dismissively.

“Oh no worries, you have a healthy appetite,” she reasoned.

Dean found himself hanging on her last word as he noticed a deep sparkle in her eyes when she smiled. He had to force a little air back through his lungs as he felt a fire igniting beneath his feet. He withdrew another long breath when despite the brisk temperature outside, his body was rapidly warming up. The longer he drank in her presence, the quicker he felt the cap on his self-control twisting off. 

Dean shifted his eyes away from her and focused his mind on something else. He dove into the different salads when he noticed Buffy’s plate was significantly bare.

“Are you going to eat?”

“Yeah, I was just enjoying you eating.”

Buffy peeled off the foil and gracefully cut her sandwich in half with a knife. Dean blinked in surprise as she started eating her sandwich in small nibbles while dabbing her mouth with a napkin afterwards.

“Geez, you make me feel like a slob,” he said.

Buffy shaded red. “Oh um, sorry, I get a little self-conscious about eating messy things in front of people.”

“Whereas I have no shame,” he cracked. 

Buffy shaded a deeper red as he chuckled for a minute. 

“I – didn’t mean to imply that you were....”

Dean held a hand up and laughed a bit more.

“It’s okay, I’m a firm believer that the best way to show your appreciation of someone’s cooking is to have complete disregard for table manners,” he quipped. 

Buffy relaxed as he laughed again. When he settled down, he plopped the remainder of his sandwich in his mouth before looking down at his plate with mournful eyes.

“I think I ate that a little too fast,” he moaned. “I’ve never been so sad after a meal.”

Buffy covered her mouth as she abruptly giggled from the depressed look on his face. 

“You wouldn’t by chance have made any extra?”

She swallowed her bite and shook her head.

“No, sorry.”

Dean sighed with deep disappointment. She drew a teasing smile as she revealed another foil wrapped sandwich.

“But I did have extra meatball mix, so I made another just in case you didn’t want the chicken.”

Dean gasped softly in joy as she handed him the sandwich.

“Wow, talk about made to order,” he said as he swiftly tore away the foil.

After taking a few bites, he let out another moan.

“Okay, I’m going to sound like a liar here but seriously, this is the best sandwich I’ve ever had....”

After a few minutes, he had made quick work of his second helping. When he was done, he eased back in his seat and gave a blissful smile.

“So you bake, make awesome sandwiches and can work a bottle of glitter, is there anything you can’t do?”

Buffy smiled as she saw an intense gleam in his eyes. 

“I um, I guess I can’t.....take care of my car all that well.”

He cracked a grin, “Oh yeah, that’s a shame. For a second there, I thought you were perfect.”

Buffy felt her cheeks flush red as she averted her eyes at his very subtle but flirtatious remark. She forced herself to relax even though her mind drifted upon Anya’s comments again. She glanced at a few attractive young girls that passed by and watched Dean to gauge his reaction. She expected a friendly or even a polite smile at the two girls that strolled by but Dean simply engaged her with a glance before he dove into some more potato salad. 

The past is the past, she reiterated. 

She broke from her thought when she heard a classic rock ringtone.   
Dean blinked with acknowledgement as he fished out his cell phone. He drew an apologetic smile.

“Sorry.”

When he glanced at the caller ID, he drew a little concern.

“It’s my house phone, I need to take this,” he said. 

“Oh, sure, no worries,” she said. 

He flashed another apologetic smile before he answered.

“Hi daddy.”

“Sammy? Are you okay?”

“How is your date with Buffy going?”

Dean blinked with surprise before he sighed. 

“Is that why you’re calling? The house isn’t on fire or anything?”

“No, how is your date going?” Sam repeated.

Dean rubbed a knot out of the back of his neck.

“Uh, it’s going well,” he said. “Did you eat?”

“Uh huh, Kennedy took me out for pizza.”

“Oh good, okay, well, I want you in bed by nine-thirty, okay?”

“Daddy, are you going to mouth kiss Buffy?”

Dean widened his eyes as shock blasted through him.

“Uh......what?”

“Andrew said that grown ups mouth kiss on their dates. Are you going to do that with Buffy?”

After a long minute to let the shock die down, Dean sighed as he twisted away from Buffy and discreetly answered.

“Sammy, I told you not to talk to that kid anymore,” he groaned.

“But he doesn’t have any friends daddy, so I eat lunch with him sometimes.”

Dean blew out a breath. “That’s very nice of you Sammy but I don’t want you talking about that kind of stuff with him. Now go have fun watching your movies with Kennedy okay? I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Oh, are you staying at Buffy’s house?”

Dean let out another exasperated sigh. “No Sammy, I’ll be home after you’ve gone to bed.”

“Oh okay, I love you daddy.”

“I love you too kiddo.”

Dean pocketed his cell phone and tossed Buffy another apologetic expression.

“Sorry about that,” he said.

“Was he checking up on you?”

Dean darkened with embarrassment. “Uh....yeah.”

“Aw, that is so adorable!”

She giggled for a long minute before she settled down and began to eat her dinner. Dean dished a small scoop of potato salad as they drifted back into conversation.

“So how did you get to be so good with kids? I mean you seem like a natural with Sammy, most people who meet him always try to talk at him like he’s some dumb kid but you.....you engage him in conversation.”

Buffy beamed a smile. “Well, he’s easy to talk to. He’s a pretty smart kid for six.”

Dean flashed a proud smile. “Yeah, he’s at the top of his class. His teachers rave about him all the time.”

“He’s a great kid,” she said. “My mom always said that kids crave knowledge and that it’s our job as adult role models to nurture their ability and desire to learn new things. That’s why she’s always giving her kids a variety of different projects.”

“She’s a teacher?”

Buffy nodded as she picked at her plate.

“Yeah, first grade,” she said. “Before that, she used to run a daycare when I was in high school, so I’d help her out with the kids sometimes. There was a time when I considered following in her foot steps.”

“What changed your mind?”

Buffy thought for a long moment. “You know, I really have no idea. I think over time, I just became really drawn to helping troubled teens. When you’re a kid, your parents are so involved the first few years of your life in trying to shape and nurture your mind but once you’re in those adolescent and teen years, they tend to drift off thinking they’ve done their job already and just stand by to steer them back if they get lost. Plus, times change and parents can’t really relate to their teenagers so I’ve found with the kids I’ve worked with appreciate having someone that knows all the angst they’re feeling in this day and age.....”

Buffy blew out a breath and gave a humbled smile. 

“Sorry, I’m kind of rambling.”

Dean shook his head as he scooped out another helping of macaroni salad.

“No, no, please ramble,” he replied. “You’ve got an amazing sense of reality and wisdom for someone your age. I’m completely fascinated. Did your mom teach you to cook?”

“Somewhat, but like I said before, she was all about providing educational projects to nurture the young mind so she gave me a lot of ‘young chef’ cookbooks. She used to let me cook simple things for dinner sometimes and I always got to make the birthday cakes for her and my dad when I lived at home.”

“Oh, what does your dad do?”

“He’s been doing missionary work in third world countries for about ten years or so,” she said.

Dean blinked in surprise. “Seriously?”

Buffy nodded and eyed his look. “Yeah. You thought I was joking?”

“Uh.....yeah,” he admitted. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I’ve just never known anyone to actually go to a poor country and.....pray.”

Buffy widened her eyes and laughed. 

“You are so small minded,” she teased. “It’s a lot more than just that you know.”

Dean shaded red. “Well, I really don’t know and now I’m horrified to have painted myself into this corner.”

She giggled for a bit. “Oh, don’t be too concerned, I wasn’t all that interested when I was a kid either but for my dad, it became his passion, his calling, so after he realized that, he couldn’t ignore it anymore and left us to go to Africa a short time after my thirteenth birthday.”

Dean exuded embarrassment at inadvertently drifting upon a potentially sore subject. Buffy noticed his reaction and shook her head. 

“Don’t think the worse either,” she replied. “My parents had a very amicable divorce. They’re still friends and my dad and I are as close as can be for someone who is thousands of miles away. He’s been recognized in a lot of Christian magazines for his work.”

Dean blew out a long breath. “Wow, you’ve got a stellar set of parents. No wonder you’re such a grounded person.”

“Well, you are too,” she remarked sincerely. “What do your parents do?”

Buffy took a sip of her drink as Dean paused for a long moment. For a brief second, he considered dodging the subject as the memory of his family life still stung him to the core. But if he was going to consider the possibility of inviting Buffy into his life, he had to let go of his reservations over delving into his past. 

With Sammy shining brilliantly in his mind, he knew he had to allow himself to open up as much as possible if he and Buffy were going to have any kind of future. The only way he could make a fair assessment of her true potential was to face the difficult subjects of his life, head on and gauge her reactions. 

Dean let out a very deep breath before he answered. 

“They’re.................dead,” he imparted softly. 

Buffy nearly choked on her drink when she saw the gloomy expression that accompanied his answer. Her face knitted with remorse.

“Oh god,” she gasped. “Dean I....I’m so sorry...I....”

Her eyes welled up with guilt.

“I feel horrible,” she whined softly. 

Buffy shook her head as she was racked with shame. God, I’m the bad date this time! 

Dean watched the compassion gleaming from her eyes and felt a ray of warmth washing through him. 

“No need to feel that way,” he said. “You wouldn’t have known. Anyway, I’ve had a lot of years to deal with it so please, don’t beat yourself up about it.”

Buffy drew a deep breath as the redness in her cheeks began to subside. 

“Way to damper the mood,” she lamented.

In need of a distraction, she quickly picked up the two plastic containers of salad.

“There’s a few bites left,” she offered. “Finish it up, I insist.”

Dean felt the awkward moment drift away as he shifted into a smile and patted his stomach.

“No, no, I’m stuffed. I couldn’t possibly eat another bite.”

Buffy put the containers down and exaggerated a pout.

“Oh, so no room for pie?”

Buffy noticed a bright flicker in his eyes when she mentioned dessert. He drew a giddy smile.

“Well, there’s always room for pie,” he said emphatically.

Buffy removed two small ramekins from the hot side of her cooler. She pitched the foil off the ramekins and pushed one in front of Dean. His eyes widened with excitement as he inhaled the fantastic aroma of apples and cinnamon. 

“Oh my god, that smells fantastic.”

Buffy drew a smile as she quickly plucked a small dollop of whip cream on the warm pie. She giggled when she noticed him eyeing the container of whip cream in her hand. She dished out a few more scoops to put on top of the small pie.

“You’ll have to tell me how it compares to Sue’s, since I haven’t had a chance to try hers.”

Dean eagerly drove his fork into the whip cream laden crust and scooped out a healthy bite. After he sunk his teeth into the bite, his eyes drifted shut again and he let out a low moan. He took several more bites with equal pleasure before he noticed Buffy’s gaze. 

“Well, what do you think? Was I all talk? Is Sue’s better?”

Dean scraped the bottom of the ramekin, aching to devour every speck of apple cinnamon goodness. He glanced around at the people in the area before he met her eyes. 

“I have to say, you really would give Sue a run for her money cuz this is pretty fantastic. Just don’t tell her I said that because she may ban me from her diner for life.”

Dean dug away at a glob of apple and crust stuck to a corner of the ramekin. 

“You realize now that I am never going to buy you a meal and you’ll be forced to cook like this all the time,” he teased.

Buffy giggled as he set the ramekin down after being satisfied he had consumed every bit. 

“Okay, I’m seriously going into a food coma now,” he said. “I think I need to get up and walk it off before the movie starts.”

Dean got to his feet as Buffy started to clean up the table. He gathered the trash and the cooler and drifted back to the car. He glanced briefly at his watch before he set out toward the cornfields hugging the drive in. 

“So have you ever seen this movie before?” she asked.

“A long time ago on network TV,” he answered. 

“And did you like it?”

“Yeah, it’s awesome,” he replied. “I’m looking forward to seeing it on the big screen though; it’s a much better experience.”

As they strolled along the grounds, Buffy noticed several packs of people plucking ears of corn from the stalks. An older man in overalls was roasting the freshly picked corn on a barbeque for customers. 

“Thanks for the dinner and dessert, everything was fantastic.”

“Oh, I was happy to do it,” she said. “I haven’t really gotten to cook like that for anyone since I moved here so thanks for giving me a refresher course.”

“Hey, any time you need a guinea pig, give me a call,” he teased. “Unless it involves carrot cake.”

Buffy giggled as they left the main area and drifted to an open field. 

“One of these days Dean, you are so going to be eating carrot cake and you’re going to like it!” she taunted with a smile.

Dean shook his head. “No way, unless you’re able to pin me to the ground and force feed me, that’s never going to happen.”

She joined in on his chuckle until she noticed they were getting further away from the crowds. She wondered for a brief second if the walk had been an attempt to get her alone but after a few more feet, Dean stopped and swung back around the path to head back. She let out a breath as she realized she had once again fallen into the same pattern of growing fond of a guy too quickly. She still had questions about him but none were very appropriate to pose on a first date. 

After a short silence, Buffy drew out a breath and glanced at Dean with awkward curiosity. 

“Um, this is going to sound like a really strange question but....um on the weekends do you spend some time um, on the roof.....eating....um cheese?”

Dean blinked several times in deep wonder before he paused abruptly in his step. 

“Well, you got that right, that is one really strange question.”

Buffy gulped in embarrassment. “Um, I’m guessing the answer is no then?”

“Uh, can’t say I’ve ever done that,” he said. 

“Oh,” she said softly.

Dean pushed off down the path leading back to the drive in. 

“What brought that to mind?”

Buffy twisted her hands together as she winced. “Well um, it’s just that at Oktoberfest, Sammy said something to me that kind of made me wonder....”

Dean let out a huge sigh and shook his head. “Oh god, whatever it was, I am truly sorry if he offended you. Kids have no concern or even know the concept of self-editing, so, sorry.”

“Oh um, actually it was something um, weird.....”

Dean paused abruptly on the path again and hitched up an eyebrow. 

“Weird huh? Okay, I’ll bite. What did he say to you?”

Buffy gulped under the weight of his gaze. She had dug herself into this situation and was now faced with dealing with the aftermath. After a very deep breath, she recalled the scene of Sammy relaying messages at Oktoberfest. When she wrapped it up, she gauged Dean for a reaction. After a long moment of a bewildered stare, he shifted into a shocked expression.

“You thought I wanted to ‘take you’ on the rooftop at three in the morning.....and do something with cheese?”

Dean blinked a few times before he burst into laughter. 

“God, kids say the darndest things,” he remarked at the end of his bout of laughter. 

When he settled down, he noticed her wide eyed wonder and shifted nervously in his stance.

“Um, that was in no way near what I said....or meant.”

Dean went into the details of his conversation with Xander about home improvement projects. After he was done, Buffy heaved a huge sigh of relief before they continued down the path. 

“Well, I must say it was very courageous of you to show up here with me after the freaky thoughts my kid put in your head,” he cracked with a brief chuckle. “I really am sorry about that.”

After the awkward moment slipped through, they fell into a casual conversation about hobbies and favorite movies. Almost a half hour later of chatting on the hood of the Impala, the exterior lights around the drive in began to flash in and out, signaling the start of the movie. Buffy eyed the popcorn station.

“Do we have time to get some stuff from the snack bar?”

Dean eyed Buffy in amazement. “You’re still hungry after that feast you made?”

Buffy shrugged as she glanced at the big screen. 

“You have to have popcorn at the movies,” she stated. “Otherwise, it’s just not as enjoyable of an experience.”

Dean saw the sparkle in her hazel eyes and inhaled a breath. 

“I guess you’re right,” he said. 

They wandered over to the snack station and got in line. Buffy skimmed through the treats displayed in a glass cabinet. 

“Oh, we need some candy too,” she said. 

Dean chuckled at her almost childlike excitement upon seeing rows of candy boxes. 

“Okay, you’ve convinced me to eat again, so, get whatever you want.”

After gathering a large tub of popcorn and a few boxes of candy, they climbed back into the car. Dean scrolled through the radio stations to find the audio feed for the movie. As the opening titles rolled over the screen, Buffy settled into her seat and flashed a smile to Dean as he set the tub of popcorn between them. 

A short time later, Dean stole a glance at Buffy as she watched the movie. The angle of the moonlight spilled through the window and highlighted the locks of her hair, painting her with angelic tones. Dean swallowed back a very familiar feeling rising through him. His self-control was definitely being tested the longer he admired her. He shifted his eyes back to the screen and felt a jolt to his system after he casually reached into the tub of popcorn and brushed his hand over hers. 

Buffy caught his eyes when she realized her hand wasn’t alone in the tub of popcorn. She gulped and drew a sheepish smile as she started to withdraw her hand. Dean yanked his out first and dipped the tub toward her in offering. She smiled with appreciation and scooped out a big handful of popcorn. She held out her handful to Dean as they locked eyes. After a moment, he gave a smile and picked a few helpings out of her hand. 

A few minutes later, Dean glanced at Buffy as she munched on some candy. She felt his gaze and turned her eyes on him. 

“I can see why you like this movie,” she remarked softly. “What kind of car is Lt. Bullitt driving?”

Her eyes sparkled as she exuded genuine interest. Dean eyed the screen and smiled.

“Sixty-eight Mustang, fastback.”

“And the baddies? What are they driving?”

“A sixty-eight Dodge Charger.”

Buffy shined her amazement. “I wouldn’t know if you were wrong but I’m still impressed.”

Several scenes later, Buffy became absorbed in the thickening tension of the movie plot. As Bullitt tailed the bad guys through the streets of San Francisco, she spied a glance at Dean who was fully involved in the scene playing out on screen. She smiled at his genuine enjoyment as she shook out some candy in her hand and went back to watching. 

A few minutes later, Buffy heard a soft groan over the movie music and shifted a glance at Dean. She snickered very softly when she realized he groaned and winced every time one of the cars crashed into an object. When the baddies flew off the road and exploded in a fiery death, Buffy heard Dean emit a groan as his face knitted with sorrow. 

After a time, Buffy casually glanced out the window and noticed a couple making out heavily in the car next to her. She shifted her eyes away and took notice of another young couple kissing madly in the car in front of her. She quickly drew her eyes back to the movie. 

Dean let his eyes drift from the screen momentarily and found himself observing some of the couples getting lost in the moment in several cars around him. He stamped his eyes shut and blew out a deep breath as he felt his long capped desire starting to crack through the walls of his composure. 

When he opened his eyes, he focused his attention back on the movie. But his mind soon wandered onto thoughts of the end of the night. Just being in the presence of such an amazing girl made all the blood in his veins surge with an intense excitement and aching need he had ignored for six years. 

As the night progressed, he had mentally checked off his list of requirements and was stunned at how Buffy was quickly adding up to what he had been searching for, for so long. Even though there was still much to know about her, he was growing fond of her by the minute. He reminded himself that it was still too early to draw any conclusions or certainties but he couldn’t deny the fact that he liked her with as much enthusiasm as Sammy had.

Dean snapped out of his contemplation and went back to the movie. A little while later, the end titles rolled up the screen. Dean glanced over at Buffy.

“So, what’d you think of the movie?”

Buffy drew a congenial smile. “I really liked it. It was suspenseful and exciting. Was it better on the big screen?”

“Oh yeah, immensely,” he said.

“Well, I couldn’t help but notice that you got pretty emotional during that big car chase scene, when the baddies went poof in a ball of fire.”

Dean dipped his head and sunk with sadness. “Yeah, poor Charger was just a helpless victim. That broke my heart.”

Buffy giggled as he started the car and began to maneuver through the throngs of traffic in the lot. After a long wait to get back onto the main road, Dean felt his nerves tightening the closer he got to town. When he pulled up to the curb beside Buffy’s house, he felt his heart beating rapidly in his throat. He clicked the engine off and swiftly circled to open the passenger side door. Buffy gave him a smile as she climbed out. Dean retrieved the cooler from the backseat and walked with Buffy up to the front door. 

Oh Jesus, here we go, he thought. 

He had been accustomed in the past to simply helping himself to a girl at the end of the night without any protest but things were vastly different now. He never had difficulty gauging a girl’s expressions but now he found he was questioning every sweet smile Buffy tossed his way. In the short time he had gotten to know her, he assessed with confidence that she was just a sweet person by nature and a smile wasn’t an intimate invitation but a genuine expression of warm affection.

He gazed at Buffy intently as she unlocked her front door and swung it open. She gave an appreciative smile as she took the cooler from him and set it just inside the door. 

Buffy perched on the top step of her porch and pulled the door to within a crack of closing.

“I had a really nice time,” she said sweetly. “Thank you for showing me around.”

“Oh no, the pleasure was all mine, me and my stomach reaped the benefits of your amazing cooking talents so for that....thanks even though I think I gained like ten pounds!” he cracked. 

Buffy giggled at the silly grin on his face as he chuckled for a minute. 

“Well, it was a pleasure to see you enjoy such simple cooking.”

Buffy glanced back at her door. 

“Um, did you....want to come in for a bit, I can make some coffee?”

Dean recognized the intense spark that ignited in her eyes and felt all the bolts of his self-control rapidly twisting and prepping for take off. 

Yes, yes, yes, his male brain thought. 

Dean cleared his throat in alarm as his mind was assailed by a series of adult oriented thoughts. He forced out a long breath before he eyed his watch and passed her a polite smile.

“I can’t, my babysitter is on the clock,” he said.

Buffy nodded in acknowledgment. 

“Oh, of course.”

As a brief silence slipped between them, they unconsciously edged closer to each other. Buffy gulped down a wave of nerves when she caught the glow in his eyes as he glanced at her. She had truly enjoyed his company and was surprised at how disappointed she was to see him go. 

He couldn’t still be....that horrible guy, could he? No, she answered. Dean had every opportunity to throw an overtly suggestive smile at her or blatantly rolling his eyes over his body, exuding his raw male desire; he could have put the moves on her when they were in the car or alone in the cornfield but instead, he was a perfect gentleman, opening her door, voicing his gratitude, listening to her converse with genuine interest and never once did his eyes drift away from hers to admire another girl. 

Buffy edged another step closer. She didn’t know who Dean was in the past and she didn’t much care. She was impressed by the guy he was now. He displayed his staunch professionalism when dealing with her car and his genuine love and concern for his child. She wanted to believe that Dean would be the one to break her streak of bad dates-bad guys because she was completely enamored by all that she had seen over the small span of time. 

Her heart rumbled with affection as she edged yet another inch. She took pause for a minute to remind herself that she didn’t want to fall too hard, too fast. She was still a little superstitious about her love life and though she really wanted him to stay a little longer, she stamped back the urge to dive right in. 

Dean took pause when he noticed Buffy had drifted a few inches closer off the top step.

Actions speak volumes, he thought. If he had any doubt how she was feeling about him and the evening itself, her subtle movement had said it all. Despite her actions, he was still feeling somewhat shaky about making the wrong move too soon. 

As she lingered on the top step, he drew a deep breath.

“I had an amazing time,” he admitted softly. “And I’d really like to know if I could....take you out again some night.”

Buffy felt herself drifting in the brilliant pools of his green eyes and nearly lost her train of thought. She shook herself out of her daze as she smiled dreamily.

“Um, yes, I would really like that,” she replied.

Dean let out a deep breath before he edged onto the bottom step. He noticed she didn’t back away. As they gazed at each other for a long minute, Dean let out another breath as he looked down into those marvelous hazel eyes. 

“I’d really like to say......goodnight,” he confessed. 

Buffy caught a gasp in her throat as she watched an intense glow flare into his eyes as she understood what he meant. She felt her heart beat thundering behind her rib cage as he assessed her with those wonderful eyes. She was wildly impressed at his manners and while she hadn’t planned on capping the night in such an intimate fashion, she found she couldn’t let it end quite yet. 

“I’d....really like that to,” she said very softly.

When she inched a little closer, she almost stopped breathing as Dean drifted onto the top step and gently slipped his hands around hers. 

Dean exhaled slowly as the sensation of her small hands within his made his heartbeat skyrocket. Buffy edged toward him, stopping within an inch of bodily contact and looked up at him with an affectionate gaze. He broke a hold of one of her hands and cupped his hand beneath her chin. He gingerly drew her mouth to his and kissed her very softly, very briefly.

Buffy felt her eyelids drifting shut as she lost herself in the sensation of his almost too polite goodnight kiss. She admired his courteousness and respect of trying to stay within the boundaries of a first date as he kept the kiss short and sweet, without trying to invade her mouth. When he broke away from her mouth, she released his hand and slipped her arms around him, silently relaying that he could give her a little more because god, she really wanted more. She pushed off her toes and decided to show him the degree of what she wanted at that moment. She planted her lips on his and kissed him back, angling her mouth open as an invitation to travel beyond the G Rated. 

Dean blinked in pleasant surprise when Buffy pulled him back after he kissed her in the most polite way. When he felt her arms wrapping around him, he followed suit by tucking her within the frame of his. He stamped down a deep groan that knocked furiously at the base of his throat. Having a girl in his arms after so long, feeling the curves of her warm body sinking into his, inhaling the scent of her subtle perfume, feeling the rapid pace of her heartbeat, absorbing the softness of her lips as she brushed them against his, it was almost more than he could handle for a night that was ending within the next few minutes. When he felt the motion of her mouth opening and the distinct contact of her tongue diving inside his mouth, he nearly lost all his composure. 

Oh god, she’s going beyond PG. 

Buffy gently rolled her tongue inside his mouth in a subtle gesture. Within a blink, she felt his strong arms enclosing around her and pulling her closer. She let out a very faint moan. She had almost forgotten how it felt to be so close to a man. 

Dean swept a hand over her head and let his fingers dance through the blanket of curls. He drank in the silkiness of each strand before he cradled the back of her head and snapped past the kid friendly rating of his kiss as he opened his mouth, snaked his tongue inside and very gently began to explore her mouth. He let his other hand caress the line of her back but stayed above the waistline, though it was extremely difficult to stick to his own restrictions the longer his body bombarded him with an assortment of sensations. 

Buffy let out a brief, soft moan when Dean deepened the kiss and began exploring her mouth. She quivered when she felt his hands stroking her back and playing with her hair. She felt her body prickling with numbness as her hammering heart beat threatened to choke the air in her throat. She brushed a finger along the line of his jaw and stroked his cheek. The more he kissed her, the more she kissed him back, the more she wanted the kiss to linger on throughout the night. 

She had never been the kind of girl to invite a guy into her bed after a single date but the deep ache throbbing in her lower body was pressing upon her mind. After wrestling with her conflicting desires, she roped in her composure when a single thought lingered to the surface of her mind. 

Dean gently pulled away after Buffy affectionately caressed his face. Every time she touched him, no matter how small or subtle, she unlatched another notch of his restraint and if he didn’t step on the brakes soon he feared he was going to revert to old habits. He looked down at her and saw the bright sheen in her eyes. He brushed his hand over hair as her eyes rolled shut to absorb his tender gesture. He framed her face with his hands and kissed her deeply despite burning with a painful ache. 

Buffy felt her toes melting into the porch when Dean cradled her face and kissed her again. After a very, very long moment, he inched his mouth away from hers and pressed his forehead against hers. After stealing a few more kisses from her, he reluctantly edged away from her. 

“I better go before I actually do take you on the rooftop at 3......” 

Buffy opened her eyes at the surprising remark as a giggle gurgled in her throat.

“What, no cheese?” she asked teasingly.

Dean chuckled briefly. “Well, considering we’re at your house, you’ll have to take care of that.....you probably have the gourmet stuff anyway, huh?”

She shrugged with a sweet smile. “Oh, just Gouda and half a package of Brie.”

“See, I have no idea what those are,” he cracked with a smile.

Dean lingered on the top step, feeling paralyzed by the plethora of sensations she had awakened within his body. He forced his feet to drift back down the steps. 

“Okay, I really should go now.”

She smiled giddily at him. “Okay, drive safe. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay.”

Dean reluctantly pivoted and trekked a few steps down the walkway before he paused and swung around.

“Uh, any preferences as to ‘when’ later would be?”

“Um, any time is fine, really,” Buffy said. “I don’t have the six year old curfew.”

Dean tossed her an amused smile. “Right.”

After he got in his car, he watched her glide through her front door and flip on the light in the front window. A short second later, his eyes widened with recognition at the painful tension raging in his lower body. 

“Oh man,” he groaned. 

He shifted in his seat, feeling the extreme discomfort as he swung out of the neighborhood. When he breezed through his front door, he quickly settled his tab with Kennedy and sent her home. He charged up the stairs and checked on Sammy who was sleeping soundly in his bed. He shrugged out of his jacket and tried to coax his body out of its intense stiffness. 

“Oh fu.......dge,” he moaned when his body blistered with arousal even more. 

He shuffled to the bathroom and ran the cold water through the shower. He let out a soft yelp as the cold temperature blasted over him.

After fifteen minutes of water torture, Dean collapsed on the edge of his bed and glanced in the mirror above his dresser.

“You are in big trouble man,” he muttered.


	6. I Think I’m Falling For You….

Early the next morning, Buffy was aroused from her blissful sleep at the sound of her telephone. She let out a soft yawn as she rolled over and snatched up the cordless unit on the bedside table. 

“Hello?” she asked wearily.

“Good morning! It’s me, Willow!”

“Mmm, good morning.”

“Oh! You sound sleepy! I woke you! I’m so sorry,” Willow lamented. “It’s just, I’ve been dying to hear about your date, I couldn’t sleep much last night cuz I was bursting with excitement.”

Buffy pulled herself against the headboard and let out another yawn as she eyed the clock. It was a little past eight. She was surprised at how late she had dozed off, as she was usually an early riser. 

“Oh, no worries, it seems I overslept actually,” she said. 

“Oh, so you were out late?” Willow asked with intense anticipation. 

“I got in past ten, not too late,” Buffy replied. 

“Oh gosh! I want to hear every detail. Have you had breakfast yet? Oh no of course not, you said you just got up, silly me....well, want to meet me for coffee? Unless you have breakfast plans....with Dean....I didn’t even think about that.....I mean he could have stayed over....”

Buffy pushed her eyes open a little and flushed red. 

“Uh no, no, no, the date went well but not that well...I mean not that it was bad, it wasn’t bad at all....oh my goodness now I’m babbling. Yes, coffee sounds great. Give me about twenty minutes. Where do you want to meet?”

After settling on a location, Buffy hung up with Willow and quickly showered. She threw on some casual, warm clothes and made the short trip to a large retail shopping center a few miles from her house. She eyed the rows of home furnishing and electronic stores until she saw the two story brick building that Willow had described to her. She found a parking spot several aisles away and walked briskly up to the door of Pamela’s Coffeehouse. 

Once she stepped inside, she had to weave through hordes of people milling around or waiting in line to order. She spotted Willow standing near the middle of the line and quickly joined her. 

“Hi, wow, this place is really hopping,” she remarked.

Willow nodded. “Yeah Sunday mornings are pretty crazy but the coffee and treats are worth the wait.”

Buffy inhaled the strong aroma of espresso permeating the air.

“Wow, I’m wide awake just by the wonderful smell.”

“Yeah, Pamela makes the coffee so strong even a blind woman could find her way here just by following the aroma in the air.”

Willow bounced in her stance. 

“So? How’d the date go?”

Buffy grinned goofily as she reflected back on the previous night.

“It was nice, really nice.”

She began to summarize the events of the evening at the drive in as they eventually edged closer to the order counter. After ordering the house special coffee blend and some toasted bagels, Buffy and Willow made a beeline for a small table that opened up as they wandered through the main area with their mugs. Willow was practically dancing in her seat when they finally settled at the table.

“So, was there sparkage?”

Buffy sampled the house blend, moaning softly in agreement.

“Yeah, major,” she said softly.

Willow gasped with glee. “And....how did the night end? Were there smoochies?”

Buffy giggled and shaded a deep red. She drew a deep breath as she marveled on the sweet departure. Her eyes drifted away briefly as her cheeks shot a beet red.

“Um, yeah....major,” she answered.

When their order number got called, Willow briefly departed toward the pickup counter. When she returned with their baskets, Willow took a bite of her bagel before diving back into her questions. 

“So, are you going to go out again?”

Buffy wiped her mouth and smiled.

“Yeah, he uh, asked me before he left.”

Willow widened her eyes in fervent excitement. “Oh! That’s great! I knew you two would be great together! You’ll go out again and then soon you’ll be coupled! And then we can double date and then you’ll be picking out china patterns and having babies! Oh my gosh! You and Dean would have gorgeous babies!”

Buffy gulped as her cheeks stung deeper with color. Seeing her reaction, Willow flinched with awkwardness.

“Oh, unless you don’t want to have babies, I just assumed with you being so good with kids and all....”

“No um....well, yeah I do but it’s really early to start you know, doodling out ‘Mrs. Dean Winchester’ on my notebook and picking out nursery furniture. We’re still getting to know each other.”

“But you like what you know so far?”

Buffy ate a few bites of her bagel as she nodded.

“Very much so,” she admitted. 

Willow sighed and smiled. “Oh, this is so, so wonderful. So there was major sparkage and major smoochies huh? Sounds like a major love match.”

Buffy flushed another degree of red. 

“How was the conversation?”

“Um good, I thought we would hit that wall of ‘well, I know everything I want to know about you’ but we never seemed to run out of stuff to talk about.”

“And the smoochies, I must know about the smoochies!” 

Buffy shied away for a minute. “Well, I’m not really one to kiss and tell.”

Willow folded her hands together and shook them furiously.

“Oh please, please, just give me a little tell,” she begged. “Were they so good you wanted them to you know, last forever?”

Buffy drew a small smile. “Yeah.”

Willow cooed, “Oh! You two are so perfect.”

Willow flashed a silly smile as the two finished up their breakfast. 

 

Sammy rolled out of bed and darted down the stairs. He found his daddy making breakfast and reading the paper. 

“Hi daddy!”

Dean took a sip of coffee before he smiled. “Hey Sammy, did you have fun with Kennedy last night?”

Sammy nodded emphatically as Dean plated his breakfast. 

“How was your date with Buffy?”

Dean set the plate down in front of Sammy.

“It was – great Sammy,” he answered.

Sammy bounced in his seat as he grinned.

“Did she past the mommy test daddy? Is she going to be my mommy now?”

Dean heaved a sigh, expecting the bombardment of questions.

“No kiddo, I told you that Buffy and I need time to figure things out.”

“But did you give her the test?”

“Well, there’s more than one test Sammy,” Dean replied.

“But you like her?”

“Yeah I like her, I like her a lot.”

“Are you going to see Buffy again?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Soon?”

“Hopefully, now please finish eating your breakfast. We got some stuff to do around the house before the game.”

Sammy let out a breath as went back to eating breakfast. A short time later, as Dean settled the dirty dishes away, Sammy darted up the stairs. When he returned, he paused in the doorway.

“Daddy, do we have any boxes?”

Dean shook the excess water off his hands and eyed Sammy curiously.

“What do you need boxes for?”

“I was going to help you make room in your closet for Buffy,” Sammy answered. “Girls have lots of stuff, so she needs lots of room.”

Sammy scratched his head.

“If she needs more room, she can use my closet too daddy.”

Dean let out another long sigh. 

“That’s not necessary Sammy but it’s a nice thought.”

“But where will her stuff go when she comes to live with us?”

Sammy saddened for a bit.

“She is going to live with us, right daddy?”

Dean stamped back the quiver in his heart when he saw the intense wonder in Sammy’s eyes. 

“Not right now Sammy,” he said gently. 

“Well, when daddy?”

Dean drew out a short sigh as he roped in his patience. 

“If things go well between us Sammy, I hope at some point in the future but it’s still really early to even start talking about this stuff. Now go fetch your basket of dirty laundry, okay?”

After Sammy left to get his small basket of clothes, he found his daddy in the laundry room off to the side of the garage. He watched his daddy starting the wash cycle when another thought came to mind.

“Daddy, do we have time to go out today?”

Dean set the empty baskets on top of the washer and ambled back into the kitchen. 

“If we can get the rest of the housework done before the game we might. Is there a specific place you wanted to go?”

Sammy nodded. “I need some headphones.”

Dean studied Sammy as he topped off his coffee. 

“Headphones? Well, I think I’ve got a couple of earbuds in a drawer somewhere. What do you need them for?”

“Andrew says I’ll need headphones for when you and Buffy get too noisy at bedtime.”

Dean widened his eyes before he shrouded a frown and shook his head.

“I’m going to have a talk with Andrew Sr. the next time he comes in for an oil change,” he said. “In the meantime Sammy, whenever he talks to you about anything related to me or Buffy, please talk about something else because it’s really not his business. Okay?”

“But why?”

Dean blew out an exasperated breath.

“Because I’m asking you.”

“Okay, daddy.”

Dean sighed in relief as he eyed the clock in the kitchen. 

“Alright, let’s get you ready for the game Sammy.”

Dean gently ushered Sammy upstairs. 

“Will Buffy make me lunches for school? Mommies do that.”

Dean paused on the step before he let out a long breath.

“You’re right, mommies do that but I’ve been doing that for you for awhile Sammy.”

“I know but with a mommy, you won’t have to do that anymore. And Buffy can make more than peanut butter and bologna sandwiches.....”

Dean blinked before he mocked an annoyed look.

“Hey, are you complaining about my lunch making skills?”

Sammy shrugged. “There’s more than peanut butter and bologna daddy. Buffy can make sandwiches for me.”

Dean gently steered Sammy into his bedroom as his mind dipped back to the previous evening. 

“Well.....she does make amazing sandwiches so we should be so lucky if she wants to do that for you. But that’s too far ahead to think about right now Sammy. Just give daddy some more time, okay?”

Sammy let out a long breath before he nodded. Dean lingered on the memory of those delicious sandwiches.

“Man, I’m hungry again,” Dean moaned. “Start getting dressed while I grab another bite to eat.”

Sammy nodded as Dean bolted back down the stairs.

 

Later that evening, Dean stopped by Xander’s house with Sammy. Anya agreed to watch Sammy and Jack for a few hours while Dean treated Xander to a game of pool and a beer for all his hard work on the deck. 

After snacking on the house nachos at Willy’s Bar, Dean and Xander started up their pool game. 

“So D-Man, how’d the big date go last night?”

Dean paused after he gauged his shot. His eyes lifted from the table to Xander and brightened.

“I hate to sound like I’m ten but honestly, it was awesome.”

Dean drew back his pool cue and swiftly executed his shot. After glancing at his striped ball sinking into a corner pocket, he shifted his sights back to Xander.

“I never thought I’d enjoy talking with a girl so much, you know?”

Xander blinked several times before he gaped with shock. Dean circled the table and noticed Xander wringing a finger in his ear.   
Dean shot him an odd look as he set up his next shot.

“Sorry man,” Xander replied. “I just thought my ears were clogged up and I didn’t hear you right. Did you actually say that all you did was just talk? Or did you mean talking in the ‘fingers doing it’ kind of way?”

Dean blinked in surprise before he burst into laughter. 

“Uh no, no man, I just meant, in the past I never cared to engage a girl in a conversation beyond the basic stuff like her name but with Buffy....I found I wanted to know, everything about her with genuine interest. We kind of touched on everything.”

Xander’s shock thickened before he scratched his head.

“You mean ‘touched’ in a non-naughty kind of way, right?”

Dean flinched in surprise as he made his shot. His striped ball sailed across the table and stopped just short of the pocket. He shook his head before he erupted in laughter.

“Geez Xan, what do you take me for?”

Xander circled the table to gauge his shot before he shrugged.

“Sorry dude, it’s just you saying you went on a date where there was a lot of talking is like me saying I went on a date with the Hefner seven.”

Xander shook his head in disbelief as Dean chuckled before tugging on his beer.

“I see your point.”

“You must really like her to not want to get you know, groiny right away,” Xander noted.

Now Dean exuded his shock as he stared at Xander for a minute. 

“God man, you’ve been drinking too much of Anya’s ‘frank and crass’ juice,” he said. 

Xander shrugged casually. “Well, six years of being married to a woman who doesn’t self-edit will rub off on you eventually.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“So are you seeing her again?”

Dean shifted back into a jovial smile as Xander fumbled his shot. 

“Yeah, I took the initiative and asked her out again, without the coercions of a cute six year old,” he replied. “I haven’t really thought about what we’ll do.”

Dean set up his next shot and noticed Xander’s awkward look.

“You mean, besides the obvious ‘do’?” Xander asked.

Dean sighed and shook his head. “Yeah man.”

Xander gulped. “Well, it’s just you going on a second date without you mentioning your usual end of the night ‘cap’ is really blowing my mind. I’m beginning to think you were killed and cloned by an alien.”

Xander shook his head again as Dean chuckled. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he acknowledged. “If you would have told me six years ago that I’d take a girl out and not sleep with her within a heartbeat I would have thought you were smoking something. But I truly enjoyed just being in her presence and hearing about her life.”

Xander shook his head yet again. “Oh, say it ain’t so Dean, the ‘Mattress King’ has given up the throne.”

Dean groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. “Good grief, I am never gonna live down that stupid self-proclaimed title. I wish I could build a time machine and shoot myself the minute I said that out loud to....some random person.”

“As I recall, you said it to a bunch of people,” Xander pointed. “That’s how all the talk about you got started.”

“Yeah well, six years is a long time to still be bringing it up,” Dean moaned.

Xander shrugged. “Well, think of it as trying to keep you in your place. So, no plans for nailing her on date two?”

Dean leaned against the pool table and blinked with disbelief.

“Man, Anya really has rubbed off on you,” he groused. “It wasn’t that long ago that the only ‘nail’ you talked about were the ones you find at the hardware store. Anyway, no, call me crazy but I’m sort of liking this whole ‘dating’ thing, as much as I’m hurting right now.”

“Hurting?”

“Well um, you know I’ve been so busy with Sammy and work that I haven’t really been consumed by the uh, natural...male....instincts so when at the end of the night when I was holding her and....kissing her, it was like – the dam I built over six years was quickly starting to crack and fissure. And ever since I drove home I’ve been – occupied with an abundance of.....inappropriate thoughts.”

“You mean thinking about what it would be like to be inside her?”

Dean widened his eyes in shock. “Geez man!”

Xander displayed a nonchalant look. “Hey, I’m just taking that straight from your mouth man.”

Dean winced before he sunk his head with regret. “Yeah, yeah, I know, it’s just.....I guess that’s what I’m talking about – I’m not that guy anymore. I don’t want to do anything to screw this up because Sammy’s happiness is on the line. I’m trying to just take it day by day but I’m realizing that’s not going to be easy if you get my drift man.”

“Ah Buffy oiled up the rusty wheels and now they’re cranking like crazy, huh?”

“Interesting analogy, but yeah, you could say that.”

Dean finished off his beer as Xander cocked his head.

“Okay, if you’re worried about trying to ‘release’ all these feelings with Sammy being around, just play a little tug of war in the shower and your problem is solved.”

Dean darkened with a frown. “Thanks for the suggestion ANYA, but doing that with Sammy in my life just feels -wrong.”

“Woody Allen said that masturbation is having sex with someone you love,” Xander cracked.

“Yeah, take advice from a kooky old guy who married his stepdaughter....”

Dean shook his head and tapped on his empty beer bottle, wishing he hadn’t finished it so quickly. 

“So you and Buffy are taking it slow,” Xander replied. “Guess you do really like her to be so respectful.”

“Yeah, I just want to be sure about her before we take things to the next level. But it’s going to be hard to stay in control until that time comes.”

Dean blinked before he winced.

“Oh god, bad choice of words.”

“I hear you man,” Xander replied. “But it has been a long time for you....so how long do you really think you can wait?”

“I don’t know, I’m willing to wait and see but to be honest, I’m dying here and it’s going to take everything I have to not pounce on her the next time I see her because I really don’t want to move in to soon and blow this thing.....”

Dean blinked and winced again.

“Oh god, bad choice of words again,” he groaned.

“Were you getting vibes that she wants to sooner than later?”

Dean blew out a long breath. “Well, I know it’s been a really long time but I think I’m still pretty good at reading women, you know? And by the way she kissed me back last night....I got to tell you there was a moment where I saw that look in her eyes, the one I used to prey on, that said a lot....”

“But you just kissed, no hide and seek with the hand action?”

“Uh, no....that would have made me completely lose it.”

Dean winced yet again.

“Jesus, forget the phrasing.”

“Well, from everything you’ve told me, it sounds like Buffy could be the girl you’ve been looking for, so maybe if things do get on the fast track, it’s meant to....cuz you know, she may be the one.”

Dean reflected on that insight for a long moment as Xander glanced at his watch.

“Okay, my official guy bonding time is over,” Xander remarked. 

“Yeah, I’ll run you home.”

Dean dropped off Xander and picked up Sammy a short time later. Jack and Sammy said goodbye as their dads did the same. Xander scooted Jack off to brush his teeth. Anya glanced out the front window as the Impala pulled away. She looked at Xander with intense curiosity.

“So, were there many orgasms last night?”

“No hon,” Xander answered.

“What? Has it been that long since he boned a girl that he lost his touch? Where are the many orgasms?”

Xander gulped. “Well, to have those you have to have the sex first and he....didn’t.”

Anya frowned with wonder and disappointment.

“What? The Mattress King didn’t have glorious mind blowing sex on the first date? What’s wrong with him? I anticipated hearing about how he ravaged that girl for hours, how she couldn’t walk this morning, how he gave her many, many orgasms but no, I’m left unsatisfied, where are my orgasms? I must have my orgasms!”

Xander eyed Anya with a little twinkle in his eye. Anya gave an exasperated sigh.

“Oh fine, I’ll settle for a glimmer of one,” she said.

Xander scoffed in offense. “Hey! I may not be the Mattress King of Lawrence but I am of this household.”

Anya shrugged as she drifted up the stairs.

Monday morning, Buffy wandered into the teachers lounge for the weekly staff meeting. Giles drifted in with an older woman with short dark hair. He smiled at Buffy as she poured a cup of coffee.

“Buffy, I’d like you to meet my wife Jenny,” Giles replied. “She’ll be covering Miss Rosenberg’s classes while she’s out on vacation.”

Buffy gave a friendly smile as she held out her hand. 

“Oh hello, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” she said.

Jenny returned her warm smile. 

“It’s lovely to meet you Buffy, Rupert raves about you all the time.”

“Oh, if it’s good, then it’s all true.”

Buffy giggled as the rest of the faculty members filed into the lounge for the meeting. 

 

Dean ambled toward the teachers lounge and heard a roar of laughter. He casually strolled inside and noticed Giles and a bunch of other faculty gathered around. The chatter abruptly halted as all eyes fell on Dean. 

“Mr. Winchester, so good of you to join us for the meeting,” Giles teased.

Dean blinked several times before he drew a sheepish smile. He scratched his head in utter wonder.

“Uh, staff meeting? Sorry, I uh...didn’t get the memo.”

Giles turned back to the group. 

“Thank you for your time everyone,” Giles replied. 

The faculty members gradually dispersed after grabbing coffee and doughnuts. Dean topped off his coffee cup and swung around as Buffy wandered over to him. She shook her head as she leaned against the counter.

“Mr. Punctual was actually late,” she remarked with a smile. “I’m so telling your boss.”

She giggled as he drew an awkward smile.

“Well, in my defense, my monosyllabic challenged friend Oz neglected to mention in his very brief message last night about a staff meeting this morning. All I got was “Hey dude, need coverage. Bye.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize Oz was going to be out too,” Buffy remarked. “Is he on that mousse excursion with Will?”

Dean eyed the assortment of pastries offered on the counter before he did a double take. 

“The what?”

“Willow said she was going to Canada for some mousse excursion. It was kind of noisy when she told me so I didn’t quite understand her.”

“I think she meant reindeer excursion,” Dean clarified. “She and Oz spend a week every year at some spiritual retreat up in the Canadian mountains where they like chant and meditate and stuff. Ever since Oz got mauled by a wild dog a couple years ago, he’s really been into the spiritual stuff.”

“Oh, now I understand when Will said she wanted to find a moose husband for her female moose,” Buffy replied. “I thought she was just being overly excited about dessert.”

Dean let out a chuckle as most of the faculty dispersed from the lounge. 

“Yeah she and Oz adopted a Caribou on their last trip, don’t ask me why. I love them to death but they’re a little quirky for my tastes.”

“They’re just adventurous spirits,” she replied. 

Dean marveled a bit in the sight of seeing her again. Her dark green sweater made her eyes shine more brilliantly. He took a deep breath as he swam in the warmth of her smile. He noticed her eyes shifted away briefly from his.

“I got to run, I’ve got to meet with a student,” she said.

Dean stuffed a few pastries in a napkin and walked out with Buffy. After a short trek down the corridor, Buffy paused outside her door.

“This is my stop,” she said. 

Dean spied a glance into her office to see an abundance of personal items sprinkled around her desk and walls.

“Looks like you’ve settled in nicely,” he remarked.

“Yeah, I have,” she said.

A long moment of blissful silence passed between them as they regarded each other with an exchange of warm smiles. Chatter filled the hallways as students drifted toward class before the first warning bell went off. Dean glanced at the clock above the receptionist desk.

“I probably should get going before I’m late again,” he said.

Buffy was about to retreat into her office when he caught her eyes.

“Are you....free for lunch? Do you want to maybe grab something later?”

Buffy leaned in the doorway to her office. 

“Um, I usually eat with Will but since she’s on vacation I’m out a lunch buddy so yeah, I’m free. I have meetings until eleven forty-five.”

“Okay, I’ll swing by around then.”

Buffy smiled. 

“Okay,” she said. 

She eyed the clock.

“You should get going, I’ll see you later.”

After a long gaze, Dean blew out a breath and was grateful for the professional environment to help contain the storm of urges raging inside. Just seeing Buffy for a brief time, made his heart start beating rapidly. He felt his veins running hot the more he drank her in. He forced his feet to amble a few steps away as he smiled.

“Okay, I’ll see ya,” he said.

She flashed him back a smile before stepping into her office. Dean flushed out a long breath as he swept into the main hallway, feeling a prickly heat blanketing over him. He quickened his pace as he made his way to the auto shop classroom. He nodded in acknowledgment to the students who had shown up early to class. He eyed the box of parts on Oz’s table and dug out a carburetor which he quickly took apart. He was thankful for the opportunity to keep his hands and mind distracted from the obvious sensations aching to control him. 

As the first bell rang through the halls, the mostly male students took seats behind work stations in the classroom. Dean finished his disassembly and looked up at his students. He rapped his fists on the table as the last of his uncomfortable thoughts left him.

Oh god, this is going to be a difficult week, he thought.

 

Buffy drifted out of her office as Giles wandered out of his. Jenny spilled through the entrance a short minute later and gave Giles a gentle kiss on the cheek when she noticed Buffy lingering near the bulletin board.

“Oh Buffy, Rupert and I are heading out to lunch, would you like to join us?”

Buffy eyed the clock. It was eleven forty-two. Dean swept through the door at that moment, his hands caked in grease. He threw Buffy an apologetic smile as he ambled over to her. 

“Give me one second to clean up?”

“Sure,” she said. 

Jenny eyed the two before she shifted her glance to Giles.

“Well, how long has that been going on?”

Giles regarded the intense chemistry bleeding off the two and blinked in wonder.

“I’m not sure,” he answered. “I wasn’t aware they had a relationship beyond....the professional.”

Jenny cocked her head as she spied a glance at Dean scrubbing his hands in the sink as Buffy kept him company.

“Seems like a good match from what you’ve told me about Buffy,” she remarked. “I hope it works out, Dean’s a good guy.”

Jenny drifted into the lounge as Dean dried his hands.

“Hey Dean, I was just inviting Buffy out for lunch with Rupert and I, do you two want to join us?”

Dean glanced at Jenny and smiled.

“Where are you off to?”

“The Garden House,” Jenny answered.

Dean threw her a polite smile.

“Oh, uh, thanks but I’ll pass.”

“Alright, some other time then,” she said.

“You bet.”

Dean waited for Jenny and Giles to wander out of the lounge before he addressed Buffy’s questioning eyes.

“I hope you don’t mind me passing on the uh.....eclectic fare...not really my thing.”

As he put his jacket back on, he led the way out. Buffy crinkled her brows in curiosity as they strolled out to the parking lot.

“The Garden House sounds like something organic or vegetarian,” she said.

“It’s exactly that,” he confirmed. “And no disrespect to the vegetarians, but I have no desire to pay thirty bucks for a couple of carrot sticks on a bed of whole grain crackers.”

“Oh, I’m sure there’s more to that on the menu,” she said.

“Actually, no, there’s not,” he said. “Trust me, I’ve seen the menu.”

Dean paused to unlock the passenger side door before he drifted around the car. 

“So, anything particular you feel like?”

Buffy shrugged. “Nothing too heavy but other than that, I’m not picky.”

“Well, we can hit the Rocket Café, it’s close by and there’s not a single carrot stick on the menu.”

Buffy giggled as he eased the car out of the parking lot.

“Why are you such a carrot hater?”

“Oh, I don’t discriminate against just carrots, I believe in hating all kinds of vegetables,” he joked.

Buffy giggled again as she shook her head.

“What kind of role model are you for Sammy if you don’t show him good nutritional habits? I mean, you’re supposed to eat your vegetables when he doesn’t want to eat his.”

“We’re assuming I actually give him vegetables to eat, right?”

Buffy let out a small gasp before she couldn’t help but laugh again.

“Come on Dean, you can’t tell me there isn’t one vegetable you don’t like.”

“Honestly, I’m not a fan,” he admitted. 

“Not even....broccoli?”

Dean hitched an eyebrow as he looked at her in wonder.

“You mean, little trees?”

Buffy burst into laughter at the sheer disgust on his face.

“What about spinach?”

His look of disgust deepened.

“Swamp patches?”

“Cauliflower?”

“Uh....little white trees?” he asked with a chuckle.

Buffy rolled her eyes as she flashed an amused smile. Dean scratched his head as he thought a minute.

“Well, I suppose I do like mushrooms and tomatoes.”

“Oh, well mushrooms are a fungus and tomatoes are actually considered a fruit.”

Dean blinked in wonder before he drew a wide smile.

“Pardon me Miss Smarty Pants,” he teased. 

 

At the Rocket Café, after being seated in a corner booth, a waitress in a space like uniform took their drink and meal order. Dean fished out his cell phone and checked for messages. 

“So how are your mechanics managing without the boss around?”

“Are you kidding? A whole week without me around to pester them? They’ve probably trashed the place by now and strung my office in toilet paper.”

He let out a chuckle as he put his phone away.

“Yeah, by the looks of the antics that went on at that car wash, seems like you guys have a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, they’re a good group of guys.”

“It’s always good when you like the people you work with, it makes it fun to go to work, but then, I’ve always liked the jobs I’ve had.”

After the food arrived and they grazed on their lunches briefly, an older man in scrubs and a white coat stopped by their table and smiled at Dean.

“Dean, sorry to interrupt you, I just wanted to say a quick hello.”

The man flashed a congenial smile as he and Dean shook hands.

“Doc Garrison, hey, good to see you.”

Garrison noticed Buffy and extended a hand.

“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”

Dean drew a guilty look at his manners. “Oh, man, sorry, uh Buffy this is Doctor Garrison, Sammy’s pediatrician.”

Buffy nodded with acknowledgment as she accepted his hand.

“Oh, nice to meet you.”

“You must be new,” he assessed.

“Yeah, new noticeable face,” she said.

“Well, welcome to Lawrence,” he said.

“Thank you.”

Garrison drifted a few steps from the table.

“Sammy’s due in for a check up so I hope to see you soon Dean.”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to call and set that up.”

“I got to get back to work, enjoy the rest of your lunch hour, it was nice to meet you Buffy.”

Buffy flashed a friendly smile. “Oh you too.”

Garrison eyed Dean.

“And I’ll see you at the classic car show this weekend?”

Dean drew an enthusiastic smile. 

“Oh yeah, I never miss it.”

Garrison ambled off and left Buffy and Dean alone. After a minute of picking at their plates, Buffy drifted back to conversation.

“There’s a car show this weekend?”

“Yeah, up in Kansas City, at the Speedway, I go every year with Oz....”

Dean suddenly sunk with disappointment. 

“Except he’s out of town this week.....oh....shoot....I guess I’ll ask...Xander if he wants to go.....or maybe one of the guys at work.”

Buffy gave a casual shrug. 

“Well, I’ll go along if you want.”

Dean shot his eyes up in disbelief. 

“You want to go to a.....car show? Seriously?”

“Yeah, of course, you’re passionate about cars and it sounds like you’re looking forward to it and I’ve never been to Kansas City. There should be entertainment and stuff, right?”

“Uh yeah, they’ve got vendors and a beer garden....oh and there’s always a well known band that puts on a concert after the show.”

“Oh yeah? Who’s playing?”

“An old band from the seventies called Bad Company.”

Buffy nodded. “Oh, I like them.”

Dean blinked several more times as he exuded his disbelief again.

“You’re kidding, you’ve heard of them?”

“Yeah, I like that song um ‘Can’t Get Enough’ my dad used to play them a lot when I was growing up.”

Dean stared at her in awe for a long moment. 

Likes my kind of music, check that box off.

Buffy noticed his look of wonder.

“What?” she asked with a smile.

“You uh.....keep surprising me,” he admitted. 

“Oh, in a good way, I hope.”

“Yeah, a very good way.”

Buffy gulped under the weight of his gaze and felt her cheeks flushing red. When the waitress set down the bill tray, Buffy reached out for it. Dean yanked it away and shook his head.

“No, no, no, it’s on me,” he insisted. “But thanks for offering.”

“But what about you vowing to never buy me a meal?”

Dean glanced at the tab as he fished though his wallet.

“Oh, I was just trying to express my enthusiasm over your cooking. Anyway, you need to save your money for all those car repairs you’ll need in the future.”

He chuckled as he set a bunch of bills on the tray. When they got back to campus, Buffy glanced at her watch before she regarded Dean and smiled.

“Thanks for lunch,” she smiled.

“You’re welcome, same time tomorrow?”

“Um yeah sure.”

He flashed a humbled smile.

“Uh, I was kind of joking....but, who am I to turn down lunch with a pretty girl, so I’ll see you.”

After an exchange of smiles, they parted ways. 

 

Tuesday afternoon, during a faculty luncheon, Buffy and Dean settled at a table at the far end of the courtyard, away from the rest of the staff, although many threw smiles as they passed by. 

Buffy eyed her one plate of food before she smiled at the two in front of Dean.

“You think you have enough to eat?” she teased.

Dean stopped eating for a minute as he drew an awkward smile.

“Am I being a horrible glutton? I can’t help it. They always have the best food at these luncheons...well, second to yours.”

Buffy gave a shy smile. “Oh um....I’m flattered. Did you um, want me to make something for the car show?”

“No, no,” he said. “There’s this great southern cooking restaurant by the river it overlooks the whole city. I thought we could eat there before we hit the show.”

“Oh, okay, that sounds nice.”

Dean stared at a mini taco in fascination.

“How do they make these things so small yet so delicious?!”

Buffy giggled at his gleeful smile. 

“You must look forward to the holiday eating,” she remarked.

Dean stuffed another mini taco in his mouth before he brightened again.

“Oh yeah,” he said. “Consider this the start of my personal training for all the holiday feasts.”

“What do you and Sammy do for the holidays?”

“We usually go to Bobby’s house, his wife Ellen cooks up a feast.”

“Sheriff Bobby? I didn’t realize you were so close.”

Dean paused in his devouring of a mini burrito when he realized he had unintentionally drifted upon the subject of family. Now that he had tossed that bit of information out there, he had to elaborate, since he had vowed to be open and honest with her.

He drew a deep breath as he met her eyes.

“Yeah, Bobby and Ellen have pretty much been my surrogate parents so to speak.”

Buffy noticed the deep reflection in his eyes as he let out another long breath. 

“My uh....my mom.....she died on my thirteenth birthday, my dad was working late at the factory and she wanted to make me a cake but ran out of flour, so she got in her car, it was raining really bad that night and there were a bunch of power outs and I remember waiting and waiting for her to come home but she never did. After my dad came home, the cops came over and told him that my mom was....killed in a traffic accident.”

Buffy felt an intense murmur in her heart when she saw the flicker of sorrow in his eyes. Her lips quivered as she gently dropped a hand on top of his. As his heart shivered with the painful memory, Dean flinched slightly when he felt the warmth of her hand draping over the top of his.

“My dad was devastated and he was never the same. He drank and cried all the time. Some nights, he’d stumble in and start screaming his head off at me, blaming me for the death of the woman he loved, saying ugly stuff like he’d wish I’d never been born.”

Buffy shook her head as she leaned closer to him. She kept the tone of her voice soft and discreet.

“You know that it’s not your fault, right? What happened to your mom was just a tragic accident.”

She gently squeezed his hand as moisture formed in her eyes. Dean took a deep breath and swam in the comfort of her compassionate expression. 

“I’ve come to terms with it now, but back then, I was just a kid and after I kept hearing night after night about how much I screwed up my dad’s life, it started to affect me and I....I did a lot of stupid things....”

She flashed him a forgiving look as she shook her head.

“You were acting out because your dad was taking out his grief on you. You were left with no positive influence to nurture and support you through that horrible time. The past events are building blocks of your character. Who you are today is because of who you were then. You’ve done so much with your life now with Sammy.”

“Well, I owe that to Bobby and Ellen. They grew up with my parents and when my mom died, they checked up on me all the time, trying to straighten me out when I was really reckless, I was cutting class, staying out all night, getting in trouble. I wouldn’t be where I am now if they hadn’t taken the tough love approach with me.”

“They did a great job, you’re a really good guy,” she said. “And I’m very touched that you shared something so personal with me. That couldn’t have been easy.”

“It really wasn’t,” he admitted softly.

He glanced down at the table and noticed she was still cradling his hand. He was amazed by how such a simple, subtle action had overwhelmed him with a feeling of solace. When he met her eyes, he shifted out of his brief gray mood.

“But you make me feel really....comfortable, like I can tell you anything. I guess it’s because it’s a part of your profession although I must be the oldest student you’ve ever counseled.”

He cracked a small smile as he basked in the gleam of her eyes as she regarded him. She drew a smile. 

“You don’t need counseling,” she said. “You’ve got a very good sense of your life.”

The soft chatter in the patio aroused them from the short silence. As a few staff members drifted by the table, Dean blew out a breath of disappointment when Buffy drew her hand away from his. He didn’t take offense, knowing the manners she practiced in the professional environment. His eyes drifted back to his plate. He picked out another tasty item and veered back into a casual conversation.

“What about you? You planning something special for Thanksgiving?”

“Well, this will be my first one in Kansas,” she said. “Usually I go to my mom’s but this year she’s spending Thanksgiving in Illinois with my aunt so I’ll probably just have something small, invite Oz and Will over. You and Sammy are welcome to come over for pie and coffee when you get done with your shindig. Or you can have a second dinner.”

He saw her teasing smile and laughed.

“Okay, I’m starting to get a little self-conscious about how much I eat in front of you,” he joked.

She laughed along with him for a bit before Giles and Jenny drifted over to talk for awhile. 

 

After he finished his last class for the day, Dean stopped by Buffy’s office to say goodbye but found she was in a closed door meeting with a student. He sunk with disappointment as he retreated into the hallway. 

 

As the lunch hour neared on Wednesday, Buffy drifted down the hallway toward the auto shop room. She cracked a smile when she heard a classic rock station playing softly inside the classroom as she spied a look. Dean was looking over a student’s handy work when he noticed her leaning in the doorway. He eyed the clock before he ambled into the hallway.

“Hey Teech,” she said.

Dean chuckled at the playful tone in her voice as she flashed a cute little smile. He feigned a stern look.

“You have a hall pass young lady?”

Buffy feigned a dumb look. 

“Uh, my dog ate it?”

After sharing a brief burst of laughter, Dean glanced back at his class.

“Lunch?” she asked.

Dean shifted his eyes back to Buffy and smiled.

“Yeah absolutely,” he said. 

“I’ll meet you by the entrance, I need to grab my bag and coat.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.”

She nodded and smiled before she strolled away. 

Buffy walked in to Chuck’s Barbeque Shack, a casual eatery a few miles from the school, and smiled at the charm of the place, from the fresh wood chips on the floor to the western style décor adorning the walls. The owner was a young guy with a dark brown beard, wearing a cowboy outfit complete with chaps. Dean shook his hand and followed him to booth. After they settled into the booth, Buffy noticed several patrons eyeing her with interest. She shifted in her seat as Dean peeled out of his jacket.

“Um, I guess I’m still the new face in town,” she remarked. “If I were a vain person, I would be swimming in all the attention.”

Dean casually followed her sights and took notice of the people watching their table. 

“Well, I think they’re looking at me....with you. It’s kind of an unusual sight. I don’t go out for lunch that often without my guys.”

“Oh, did you have lunch plans with them? I’m sorry I didn’t even think about that.”

Dean waved a hand dismissively as the drinks arrived.

“Don’t worry about it,” he assured. “You’re much better company than those bunch of lazy losers.”

Dean chuckled as he caught more observing eyes.

“I can actually have a civilized lunch hour.”

“Oh, are you guys like the Wild Bunch when you get together?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes but I try not to let things get out of hand when we’re in the public eye. It’s bad for business, you know?”

Dean let out a breath when he noticed two town chatterboxes whispering to each other while eyeing him intently. Buffy let her eyes drift over to his sights. She noticed one lady shamelessly studying her.

“Let me guess, gossip hounds?”

Dean shifted his eyes away from the two old ladies and gave a mild frown of disapproval.

“Yeah, the worst ones. Tomorrow, it’ll be all over town that I had lunch here, you’ll probably get a newsletter on your doorstep with the headline ‘My god, Dean Winchester went out with....a girl! It’s the end of the world,” he teased. 

Buffy glanced at the two ladies still whispering animatedly to each other. 

“I have to warn you,” he said. “The one in the blue jumpsuit shops at the big grocery store near your house so, you may run in to her and she will most likely, shamelessly bombard you with questions.”

Buffy pulled her eyes away and looked at Dean. “Oh, well don’t worry, I’m not one to participate in gossip, let alone divulge details about other people’s business. Are they still watching us?”

Dean glanced at the gossip hounds and nodded.

“Yeah, probably until we leave here,” he noted.

“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize that being seen out with me was going to cause such chatter. I hope it doesn’t affect your business.”

“Actually, it may help,” he remarked. “I’ll probably see a spurt of old lady cars in the shop next week.”

He chuckled as the waitress dropped their food off. 

“So it doesn’t bother you that people are talking about you behind your back?” Buffy asked with concern.

“I really don’t care what they say about me, those who know me well enough know not to believe what some lonely old lady says. I’m more concerned about them painting you in a bad light. You just moved here and already you’re the topic of discussion.”

Dean shook his head disapprovingly as he grazed from his plate. He eyed the two gossiping ladies still watching him with intense interest. The flames of chatter had been ignited and would surely burn through the town by the end of the week. He felt a sudden grumbling in his stomach not brought on by hunger. He blew out a breath and sat back in his seat.

“Can I ask you something?”

Buffy finished swallowing her bite before she wiped her mouth and nodded.

“You realize that I....I uh come with a....little...carry on?”

Buffy blinked rapidly before she giggled at his reference.

“I mean, there are a lot of guys in town you could spend time with in...this capacity, that don’t come with – carry ons – and I am always going to have a carry on and that carry on means the world to me so I just.....hope you understand.”

Buffy took pause when she saw the deep concern knitting his face. The troubling thoughts Anya had hammered into her mind the past few days were quickly shedding away. She may have doubted Dean briefly, wondering if he was just pursuing her out of his own selfish interests, but now, as she soaked in the amount of paternal love glistening in his eyes, she understood his true intentions and the concern he was trying to address. 

Dean felt his nerves tightening with anticipation as he waited for some kind of response. He couldn’t move forward until he had no doubt in his mind that Buffy was well aware of what she was getting into. He didn’t want to risk her bailing out after a couple of dates and breaking Sammy’s heart, hell, breaking his own heart too.

His mind lingered with skepticism despite all he had seen over the past few weeks. He blinked in surprise when she got up from her seat and moved across the table. For a brief second, he thought he had duly offended her by his candid admission and nearly cursed out loud. But instead of walking away, she slipped onto the bench seat beside him. 

“Of course I understand,” she said softly. “I see how much you love your.....carry on and I never really thought I’d meet a guy with one, or have an interest in them until I met you. I like who you are and I....I’m good with carryons.”

She beamed a smile as she giggled briefly.

“Yeah, you are,” he acknowledged. 

He smiled back until his mind dwelled on a thought. He grimaced with regret.

“Oh geez, I just referred to my kid as....a carryon, like he’s baggage....” he lamented. “I didn’t mean to imply that he’s a burden, he’s a blessing.”

“I know what you meant and....I thought it was a cute way to casually interrogate me.”

She giggled as he shaded red. 

“Oh, you caught me,” he confessed. 

She giggled some more as the waitress came by to top off their drinks. Buffy pulled her plate from across the table and picked off a few bites when she noticed the gossip crew still watching. She wiped her mouth and scooted closer to Dean, propping her hand on top of his. He eyed her with curiosity.

“What’s that about?”

“Since we’re the entertainment for the gossip hounds lunch hour, we may as well give them something to talk about. Maybe they’ll call me a ‘shameless and cheap blonde golddigger’,” she snorted.

“Yeah right, because I’m just so rolling in the greenbacks,” he joked. 

“Hey, if I’m going to be gossiped about it better be juicy,” she said.

“Oh, you are playing with fire,” he warned lightly. 

She shrugged as she picked from her plate.

“Well, maybe it’s just a town initiation you know, you’re not officially a resident until people have made up silly stories about you so...so be it. Maybe I’ll get pegged as a mail order bride or something.”

Dean blinked with surprise before he mocked an annoyed look.

“Heyyyyyyy,” he groaned. “You must think I’m really pathetic.”

She snickered briefly before she settled into a warm smile.

 

Thursday lunch was at a bar and grill downtown. Plenty of people discreetly and indiscreetly observed Dean as he walked in with Buffy. After they were seated at a table by the window, they ordered and chatted well aware of the prying eyes. As they waited for their food, Buffy flashed him a warm smile. After the conversation wandered on, Dean unconsciously leaned across the table and found his hands entwining over hers. He basked in the comfort of such a subtle gesture of affection.

Buffy drew a bashful smile when she felt the sensation of his hands cupping over hers. As his gaze lingered on, she averted her eyes as her cheeks flushed red. 

“Don’t you know it’s rude to stare,” she teased.

“Oh, uh sorry,” he said with an apologetic smile. “It’s just.....you’re....really nice to....look at.”

Buffy let out a breath as her cheeks deepened with color. 

“Oh, um, thank you.”

As they drifted into a casual conversation, they became completely oblivious to the wave of whispers that had erupted around them.

 

On Friday, Dean was sorely disappointed to learn that Buffy had been involved in a student meeting that bled through the lunch hour. When he dropped by her office at the end of his day, her door was yet again closed for a meeting. He was amazed at how much he had missed seeing her after spending an entire week with her. 

Late Saturday afternoon, as he got ready to go out, Dean heard Sammy shuffling into the bedroom. 

“Daddy, will you give these to Buffy for me?”

Dean gave a quick glance in the bathroom mirror before he looked down at Sammy and noticed him holding a batch of fresh flowers wrapped in paper.

“Where did you get those?”

“Um, I picked them from the yard next door.”

“You took those from Mrs. Benson’s garden without asking her?”

Sammy shook his head. “She was out there and said I could take them.”

Dean studied Sammy with slight suspicion. 

“Did she really?”

Sammy nodded.

“Uh huh. I told her how Buffy is going to be my mommy and that you’re going on a grown up date with her tonight so she said I could give you some flowers to give to her.”

Dean stamped back a sigh as he saw the optimism thicken on Sammy’s face. 

“Will you give these to Buffy? Please?”

Dean ambled out of the bathroom and smiled.

“Sure Sammy, it’s very nice of you to do that,” he said. “You’re making me look bad, but it’s nice of you. I may have to hit Mrs. Benson up for another batch.”

Dean chuckled as he ambled down the stairs. Sammy followed along side him with a wide grin. 

“When can I see Buffy again?”

“I don’t know Sammy. She wants to come by and see you we just haven’t figured anything out yet.”

After Kennedy arrived and got Sammy settled, Dean bounded out of the house a few minutes later. When he reached Buffy’s house a little while later, he pulled to curb and was about to get out when he saw Sammy’s flowers in the backseat. He snatched them up and walked up to the door. 

As he waited for the door to open, he noticed a little card sitting inside the batch of flowers. Dean widened his eyes when he read the note: For My Mommy. When he heard the latches on the door clicking, he frantically fished the card out and stuffed it in his pocket. 

Buffy swung through the door and smiled sweetly as she stepped onto the porch. Her hair was straight and pulled back in a simple ponytail. She had gone with a dressier look for the evening, wearing some black jeans a chocolate brown sweater, a brown corduroy jacket and black leather boots.

“Hi.”

“Hey, these are from Sammy.”

He handed her the wrapped flowers.

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” she said.

She inhaled the delightful scent of wildflowers and widened her smile.

“Remind me the next time I see Sammy to give him a big, fat thank you kiss.”

Buffy noticed a spark flaring into his eyes as he shifted in his stance.

“Okay, actually, I was lying earlier, I was just trying to make Sammy look good. Those are really from me. So - lay one on me,” he cracked.

He drew a silly smile as she burst into laughter.

“Oh you have no shame,” she teased. “Stealing your kid’s thunder.”

She shook her head in amusement as she propped the door open.

“I should get these in water,” she said. “Come on in for a second.”

Buffy swept inside the house as Dean hung back in the doorway. 

Danger Will Robinson. 

He knew if he stepped across the threshold, his plans for the evening would have quickly veered off track. Thankfully, Buffy had the flowers in a vase and settled on a table within a minute before she ambled out the door. He let out a long breath of relief as they walked to the car. 

As he maneuvered through the neighborhood, he mocked an irritated frown.

“So, you stood me up yesterday,” he cracked.

“Oh gosh, yeah, I’m so sorry about that. I should have left you a note with the receptionist.”

When he noticed her genuine apologetic expression, he exaggerated a grin.

“I’m joking,” he said. “It wasn’t a big deal. It seemed like you had a busy streak.”

“Yeah, I did,” she imparted. “Giles gave me a stack of college placement exams to review with the students and then I had some parents asking me about financial aid and before I knew it the whole day went by. I was looking forward to a nice lunch out but the opportunity just never came, it was a pretty crazy day. Anyway, what did you end up doing for lunch?”

“I dropped by work because honestly, I really thought it was going to be a frat house, fortunately, the shop was just as I left it. I guess my guys are growing up.”

Dean mocked a sad expression as he shook his head.

“So what’s Sammy doing tonight?”

“Oh, he and his babysitter Kennedy are going to watch a ‘Bill Nye the science guy’ marathon on PBS. I can’t stand that guy so I was grateful I didn’t have to suffer through that.”

“Ah, the sacrifices you make for your child,” she replied. “Where did you get your daddy training? From Ellen?”

“Are you kidding? Her tough love treatment has continued to this day. When I asked her for help once Sammy came along, she turned a blind eye.”

“She ignored you and Sammy?”

“Me incessantly, Sammy she doted over but as soon as he got fussy or cried she gave him back to me, so of course, I didn’t have a clue what he needed, and when I asked her to help, she said, ‘Figure it out Dean.’ For the first couple of years, that’s all she would say to me, even when I begged her to help. ‘Figure it out Dean’ was all I got.”

“Wow, she sounds like one tough cookie,” she remarked.

“She is. And even though there was a lot of friction between us, she took the right approach with me, because I really was a troublemaker.”

“Well, looking at how well Sammy turned out, you did figure things out.”

“Yeah, eventually but not without having a couple of near nervous breakdowns and to make things more difficult for me, Bobby, being the Sheriff brought up at a Town Hall meeting that no one was allowed to help me with Sammy because he knew that I’d try to charm people into it.”

“And did you? Try to charm people?”

He gave an awkward smile. “Uh.....yeah, I did.”

“Wow, you were a handful,” she replied with a smile. 

Dean glanced at the highway signs before he shifted across a couple of lanes as he popped a tape into the deck. 

“So, classic rock, classic cars, classic movies. I’m getting the sense that you wished you born in a different era,” she teased.

He shrugged as he maneuvered out of a lane of traffic.

“They just don’t make things the way they used to,” he reasoned.

“Well, what made you buy this particular car? Did you like see it in a cool movie or something?”

“I didn’t buy this car, I built it.”

Buffy widened her eyes in surprise as he grinned. 

“Oh. Well that makes sense, being a mechanic.”

“Yeah, when I said I fell into this profession that was only part of the story,” he replied. “When Bobby was trying to straighten me out, he thought giving me something to bide my time would keep me out of trouble, so he drove me out to a junkyard and said ‘pick one’ of course, I thought he’d lost his marbles. Then he told me if I wanted a car so badly I should build one instead of jacking them.”

Buffy blinked several times. “You stole cars?”

Dean drew a long breath and gave a humbled expression. “Stole ‘em, stripped ‘em down and collected the cash. I told you I did some stupid things, anyway, despite Bobby’s efforts, I still got into trouble. The harder I pushed him, the harder he pushed me back.”

Dean studied the miles of traffic ahead and sighed as he eased off the gas. 

“You know, Bobby threw me in jail once,” he confessed.

Buffy inhaled a deep gasp. “Really?”

“Yeah, it was part of his method to get me to listen to him,” he replied. “He believed that if I kept down that path I was on, I was going to end up in prison for the rest of my life or dead.”

“So spending time in jail made you get your act together?”

Dean shook his head as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

“No, it was Sammy,” he answered. “When I call him a blessing, I really mean that. I’m ashamed to admit that when I first got him, I begged Bobby and Ellen to take him but they refused. They took no responsibility for him.”

She flashed an understanding look.

“So you had to grow up fast.”

“Yeah, pretty much. I was resistant at first but I realized after awhile how dependent Sammy was on me, that I was responsible for keeping him warm and fed and safe and it really freaked me out. I remember the first month of his life I didn’t sleep a wink, I would just stand over him watching him blink and breathe.”

“And look at you now, six years later, a seasoned pro,” Buffy remarked with a smile. 

“Well, I wouldn’t say that. I just do the best I can,” he said.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit. Sammy is a reflection of you and everything you’ve raised him to be.”

She smiled confidently as he noticed the traffic loosening up. 

“You’re a great dad Dean,” she lauded softly. “And believe me, I’ve seen quite the assortment of dead beats when I was working at the youth center in L.A. Not many guys your age put so much effort into raising a child on their own. You could have easily absorbed yourself in your own life instead of thinking about the needs of Sammy. It’s very commendable.”

“Wow, I uh....I really don’t know what to say other than – thanks.”

After they exchanged smiles, Buffy shifted her sights out the window for a time before they drifted into another conversation.

 

When they arrived at Cece’s Southern Cooking restaurant along the riverfront, Buffy eyed the river as the sun beams reflected off the water. After climbing a set of stairs to the second floor dining area, they were seated at a very simply decorated booth near the window. 

“Chicken fried steak with home style potatoes, fried chicken with mash potatoes.....I’m sensing a theme here of fried proteins and a variant of starches.”

Dean paused from looking over the menu.

“You do realize that a potato is not a vegetable?” she asked with a taunting eye.

“Oh, well, we can go somewhere else if you want,” he replied. “I didn’t even think to ask if you were okay with going here.”

“No, no it’s fine,” she said. “I’m not a plate of leaves eater you know.”

“Yeah and to be honest, I’m glad. I can’t stand those types of girls who order a forty dollar meal and eat one bite before claiming they’re full.”

“Oh, I know, you find a lot of those types in L.A.”

“I bet. It seems like a city full of uptight people obsessed over their looks. This shirt doesn’t make me look fat, does it?”

He exaggerated a self-conscious look before he chuckled. 

“People get very self involved there, which is why it’s such a nice change to be in Kansas. Everyone is so genuinely concerned about others.”

“Or, it’s so boring here we’re just nosy,” he cracked.

Buffy snorted with laughter as the waitress came by to take their orders. By the time they finished eating, the sun had begun its descent into the horizon. 

After a quick browse through the downstairs souvenir shop, Buffy and Dean piled into the car. A short trip later, Buffy took in the sight of the Kansas City International Speedway. Dozens of cars pooled in around them as they got out and strolled through the parking lot. 

Buffy glanced at the assortment of vendor booths offering a variety of services and retail products for sale before she noticed the rows of shiny cars staged in the center of the speedway. After getting beer and wine, they wandered around to the various cars on display. 

“Oooh, pink Cadillac,” she chimed.

Taking a cue from other patrons who had gotten in the car, Buffy climbed inside the gigantic pink car and gripped the wheel. She flashed a smile as she looked up at Dean.

“What do you think? Could you see me in this?”

Dean took in the sight before he cracked a grin.

“Yeah, I sure can see you.....running this precious car into the ground and breaking my heart.”

Buffy exaggerated a pout as he burst into laughter. 

“Oh, if I had something to chuck at you, I so would right now,” she groaned. 

Dean settled down as Buffy climbed out of the car. She took notice of another pink car.

“Well, what about that one?”

Dean eyed the sixty-seven Thunderbird and shook his head.

“Do you like it just because it’s pink?”

Buffy took a sip of wine as she shrugged. 

“I’m a girl, I like pink.”

“Yeah well, you really shouldn’t base a car purchase on the color.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” she conceded. 

As they weaved through throngs of people, they stopped to admire a set of famous movie inspired cars. 

A short time later, weaving through another group of people, they drifted a little bit closer to each other. Buffy stumbled in her footing as a huge guy ran into her without any regard. As the crowds thickened around them, Dean glanced at Buffy and gently tugged her by the coat and drew her closer as several throngs threatened to separate them. Dean shifted his eyes rapidly around the crowd.

“Okay, this is really silly but I’m getting the ‘Sammy panic’,” he replied. 

Buffy took pause as she eyed him curiously. 

“The Sammy panic?”

“Yeah, I feel like I’m going to lose you in a crowd and I won’t find you again.”

Buffy giggled until she felt his hand gripping hers. He laced his fingers securely through hers as he guided her through waves of people. When they finally spilled out into an open area, Buffy noticed Dean sighing in relief. She also noticed that he didn’t release her hand, not that she wanted him to. She relished in the warmth of his grip as she caught his eyes and smiled at him.

After walking through a few more rows of cars, they headed back to the beer garden. Dean admired an old Corvette before his eyes drifted down to his latched hand. 

Who knew hand holding would have made his heart dance so much, especially when Buffy had made no attempts to break from him.

“So, be honest, are you secretly bored or are you showing polite enthusiasm?”

Buffy shifted her eyes away from a display of souvenirs and drew a pleasant smile.

“I’m having a good time, I really am,” she affirmed. 

“Well, I’ll be,” sang a deep, raspy voice.

Buffy glanced at an older, dark skinned man with a thick mustache as he approached Dean with a congenial smile.

“Rufus, I thought I might see you here.”

“How’s life as a responsible young man treating you?”

“Good. How’s retirement treating you?”

“Fantastic I might say,” Rufus replied with a grin. “I love living in good ‘ol Kansas City.”

Rufus eyed Buffy with great interest. 

“Well, hello there miss, I’m Rufus. Rufus Turner.”

Buffy flashed him a warm smile.

“Hi, I’m Buffy.”

“Great pleasure to meet you.”

Buffy eyed Dean curiously.

“Rufus gave me my first job as a mechanic,” he explained.

She nodded as she shifted her eyes to Rufus.

“Oh. Well it’s very nice to meet you.”

She smiled as she glanced at Dean.

“The line at the souvenir station just opened up, I’m going to run over there before they get another spurt. I’ll be back. You two talk.”

Dean blew out a breath of disappointment when she pulled her hand from his and made a beeline for the souvenir shack. He kept his eyes on her as she moseyed up to the counter. Rufus took notice of his long gaze.

“I taught you everything you know about running a business, about being a good mechanic and this is how you repay me? By leaving me off the guest list?”

After a minute, Dean absorbed the question and regarded Rufus.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Rufus gave an amused smile. “You are a boy deep in the thick of it. I was asking when you married yourself off.”

Dean widened his eyes a little. 

“Uh, what? Oh, uh, no, no, no. We’re not married.”

“Oh, well how long you before you do? I mean, just at first glance, you two birds seem very in tune with each other.”

“Um, it’s...still pretty new actually.”

Buffy returned a minute later with a bag of souvenirs. 

“Well, I’ll let you two enjoy your evening,” Rufus replied. “It was a pleasure Buffy.”

“Yes, you too.”

Rufus winked at Dean out of Buffy’s sights. Dean shook his head in amusement before he glanced at Buffy. 

“Someone went on a shopping spree in...four minutes,” he quipped.

“Oh, I know I kind of splurged but who knows when I’ll be here again so I just bought a few mementos.”

She rummaged through her bag.

“Oh! And look what I got for Sammy.”

She yanked out a kid sized beanie with the Kansas City logo emblazoned on the front.

“Isn’t it cute?”

Dean inhaled a breath as he was enamored by the twinkle in her eyes as she flashed the beanie at him.

“Yeah, it’s cute,” he admitted.

She dug through her bag some more.

“I’m glad you think so because I got one for you too,” she said with a big grin.

“Wait, you got us a matching set?”

“Uh huh. Don’t you think it’d be cute for you and Sammy to like...go out during winter wearing the same cap?”

“Uh, to be honest, I think that’s kind of lame,” he confessed.

“It’s not lame. You and Sammy wear the same thing for Halloween.”

“We do not wear the same thing,” he protested firmly. “We wear costumes and I just do that for pie.”

Buffy hitched her head up with a determined look.

“Well, tell you what, if you and Sammy wear these caps for me, I’ll bake you any pie you want.”

After a long moment of hesitation, Dean shifted in his stance.

“I’ll think about it. Now let’s go grab a spot near the stage.”

He hooked his hand around hers and guided her toward the center of the speedway where an elaborate stage had been set up. 

 

As the evening matured, hundreds of people began to gather near the stage in anticipation of the concert. A set of loud speakers played some of the band’s greatest hits as more people filed around. When the field lights went out briefly, people cheered and whistled in excitement as an emcee introduced the band. When the opening song began, the stadium roared with applause and noise. 

Buffy and Dean stood near the corner of the stage and enjoyed the music as some danced in a designated area. After a half hour of playing their upbeat classics, the band shifted moods and performed a few ballads. Several couples broke from the standing crowd and wandered over to the dance area as the band started in on “She Brings Me Love”. 

Buffy scanned the stage before she caught Dean looking at her. 

“Do you uh....want to dance?” he asked. 

She heaved a deep breath as she marveled in the flare of his eyes.

“Yes, that’d be nice,” she answered.

After a short trek to the open area, now filled with couples slow dancing, Buffy and Dean paused very briefly to bask in each other’s long gaze. Buffy felt her eyes closing as Dean took her into his arms and began to sway slowly to the ballad. As the music filled her ears, she gently propped her head against his shoulder and felt her heart floating high into the sky. When her eyes drifted open and wandered up to Dean, he gazed deeply at her. 

Within a breath, he leaned down and kissed her, without the restraint he had observed after their first date. Buffy embraced him tighter as her heart quaked in her throat. Lightning shot through her toes and jolted her system with a blissful euphoria that had been long absent, if non existent from her love life in the past. Despite her resistance in letting herself fall too quickly, her heart throbbed with intense affection as Dean deepened the kiss. For several minutes, they danced, they kissed and they held each other close. 

After the ballad ended and most of the couples wandered off, Buffy and Dean kissed a little longer under the soft moonlight, completely oblivious to the prying eyes around them. Though they stopped dancing, they held each other and exchanged soft, gentle kisses. 

Dean reluctantly broke away as he felt every muscle in his body tense with desire. He was grateful for the public atmosphere or he was certain he would have thrown her down to the ground and taken what his body was screaming for. He cradled her face with his hands and stole just one more kiss, frolicking in the amazing sensation of caring immensely about a girl. When he parted from her, she drew a sweet smile that left him spellbound for a long minute.

Buffy steadied her breathing after Dean pulled away from her. He slowly took her hand and led her through another crowd. As the temperature dipped into the forties, Buffy burrowed in her corduroy coat as her body shivered from the cold. She noticed that Dean hardly paid attention to the frosty air blowing through the stadium. He cracked a smile when she shivered again.

“Welcome to Kansas, L.A. kitten,” he said.

He nodded over to a hot drink station and saw her eyes light up. After sharing a cup of hot chocolate, they drifted back to the stage where Bad Company was finishing up their set. Buffy buttoned up her coat and turned up the collar but still found her body quaking with cold. Dean leaned against light post and flashed a smile as he opened the flaps of his jacket, as an invitation. Buffy drew an appreciative smile as she stepped within his frame. He enclosed his arms around her, pulling in the flaps of his jacket to blanket her. 

Dean stamped down a groan dangling in his throat when Buffy leaned deeper against his body. He was quickly beginning to regret offering up his own body heat to keep her warm, as he felt a storm of male sensations surging through his veins, tempting him to move his hands over her. He swallowed all the raging urges despite the extreme difficulty, as every time Buffy shifted her stance, the pure contact of her body against his drove his mind insane with excitement. 

He blew out a long breath, hoping to extract some of the sensations boiling through him. When the band announced their last song, Dean stepped back and took Buffy’s hand and guided her to the exit, wanting to beat the rush out of the parking lot. A handful of others crowded around them as they made their way to the car. 

Traffic was significantly better on the way back to Lawrence. A short time later, Dean eased the car along the curb hugging Buffy’s house. After a short walk to the door, Buffy fished out her keys before she eyed Dean and smiled.

“That was a lot of fun,” she remarked. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Well, actually, you invited yourself.”

Buffy giggled. “Oh, yeah, right. Well, thanks for letting me come along.”

“Well, thanks for not looking too bored.”

“Will you stop? I had fun, I really did.”

She briefly turned her eyes away to unlock her door and pushed it open. 

“Do you have to take off right away or do you time for a cup of coffee. I’ve got some apple turnovers.”

Dean glanced at his watch. 

“I’ve got a little time.”

Buffy stepped inside and regarded Dean as he lingered on the porch. 

Dean noted that he had about fifteen minutes before Kennedy had to go home. He shifted uncomfortably in his stance as his mind raced with all the inventive things he could do in that span of time. After sparking with realization, he stamped his eyes shut and forced the thoughts away. 

“Is something wrong?”

Dean snapped his eyes open and cleared his throat. 

“Uh, no.”

He pushed his weight forward and crossed through the threshold of temptation. 

Buffy dropped her stuff on the kitchen counter as she drifted over to her coffee maker. Dean wandered through the living room when he noticed an enormous machine with a million buttons. 

“What in the world is that thing?”

“My coffee maker,” she said.

“Does it spit out the coffee mugs too?”

Buffy giggled as she saw his incredulous look. 

“I take it you’re not a latte or espresso guy,” she deduced.

“No, not really.”

As she pulled a filter out from a cabinet, he held up a hand.

“You know, I’m going to pass on the coffee. I don’t want to be up all night.”

Dean blinked several times when he thought about his choice of words as the ache in his body intensified. 

“Oh, okay, are you passing on the apple turnover too?”

Dean shifted into a light look of annoyance.

“I didn’t say that,” he said. 

Buffy giggled as she swung the fridge door open and pulled out a small plastic container. She popped the flaky treat in the microwave as Dean wandered into the living room. He noticed a few moving boxes in the corner. 

“You’re still unpacking?”

Buffy pulled open the door to the microwave and threw a glance his way. 

“Oh, I’m mostly finished, there are just a few things I’m still going through, debating whether I really need to unpack them or not.”

She shuffled into the living room with a small plate and fork. Dean glanced at the lone turnover before he shifted his eyes on her.

“Are you not having one?”

“I um, already two after lunch,” she confessed with a smile.

“Oh.”

Dean dug out a few bites. 

“Delicious as always,” he replied with a smile.

Buffy settled down onto her couch and curled her legs up behind her. 

“So, the band sounded really good.”

Dean brushed the crumbs away from his mouth and set the plate down on the coffee table. After a brief moment of hesitation, he angled himself down next to her on the couch.

“Yeah, they did. Those old guys can still rock.”

She beamed a smile as he laughed. After a short silence, Buffy shifted her legs before she yanked the tie from her hair. 

“When do you think I’ll get to see Sammy again?”

Dean caught his breath as Buffy shook her hair out and raked a few locks into place. 

“Uh...that’s up to you,” he said. “He’s anxious to see you though. He really can’t stop talking about you.”

“Oh yeah? I guess my plan to charm him worked,” she said kiddingly.

Dean let out a short chuckle. 

“Uh yeah, I guess so.”

Detecting a margin of uncertainty in his expression, Buffy shifted a little closer to him and scooped up his hands in hers.

“You know that was a joke, right?”

After regarding the sparkle in her eyes, he nodded slowly and smiled.

“Yeah, I see how you are with him....you hardly notice me.”

Buffy cocked her head and widened her teasing smile. 

“Well, he is cuter than you.”

Buffy giggled as he mocked an offended look.

“You know, he gets those looks from me.”

After sharing amusement, the air fell silent as they gradually drifted closer to each other. They caught eyes and then mouths. Buffy heaved a breath as Dean raked his fingers through her hair and yanked her into his arms. Her hands latched around his neck before they began to roam beneath his jacket, probing the planks of muscles along his back. Feeling the firm tones in his back and the scorching heat channeling from his kiss, she caught a deep gasp in her throat. Her senses began to dull as she lost track of her surroundings. 

Despite not wanting to let things unravel out of his control, Dean found himself gently angling Buffy against the couch, temporarily succumbing to the incessant urges bombarding his mind and body. When he felt her hands exploring his back, it took everything he had not to push away all his clothes and allow her the freedom to roam around. 

Buffy settled against the couch after Dean gingerly pressed her into the cushions. Her lower body throbbed intensely with desire and anticipation as she watched his eyes glisten with a very distinct fire. Instead of crawling on top of her like a hungry man who stumbled upon a free buffet, he stopped himself and simply cupped his hands over her face and drew her upright again.

Dean wrestled with his self control and roped it back in, stopping himself from pinning her against the couch and letting everything go. He framed her face with his hands and vigorously probed the inside of her mouth with his tongue. He tried to stamp out the soft moan that tumbled out of her mouth, as the knowledge of her sheer pleasure tightened the ache in his body another degree. 

He kept his hands cradling her face, leery of his restraint if he let them roam. If he so much as brushed an intimate part of her body, he knew in the brief ten or so minutes, he would have done something he would regret tomorrow. After several minutes of fervent kissing, Dean pulled himself away and clobbered back the raw male urge beating down his dwindling restraint. He blew out a very long breath as he gave an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry. I think I was getting a little carried away.”

Buffy struggled to steady her ragged breathing as she shook her head.

“No....need to apologize,” she panted. 

“It’s just that I uh.....”

Dean heaved in a long breath to steady his own heart beat. 

“I have to go soon,” he remarked.

“I know,” she said softly. “It’s probably a good thing you stopped.”

Her eyes drifted to the floor as her cheeks flushed red hot. After another couple of breaths, he caught her eyes as they wandered up to his.

“You know uh, Sammy met this new kid in school, Max, his dad is a scientist and has a lab in his basement. Anyway, he’s been begging me to let him have a sleepover at the kid’s house because his dad said they could do some fun experiments, nothing dangerous just things like growing mold on bread and making a baking soda volcano....I said he could but I keep putting it off because, honestly, I’ve been so used to having him around that I think if he was away for a whole night, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

Buffy inhaled a soundless gasp when she saw the deep flicker in his eyes. There was no sly smile attached to his inquisitive look even though it was very clear to her of what was on his mind. If his life taken a different path, if she not known enough about him, if she had met him under different circumstances, if he had been blatantly and verbally obvious of his intentions, she might have stung with offense at what he was implying. 

But in the time she had spent with him, Dean had been nothing but respectful along with exuding a deep concern about her feelings and regard over the pace of their blossoming relationship. He had backed off even when he had the opportunity to fulfill his own desires, displaying a maturity and selflessness she had never seen from the guys she had dated in the past. He was trying in the most polite way to gauge her interest in what was the next natural step as feelings grew and progressed. She had been amazed that despite her wandering hands, he never once copped a feel. She had expected at least a mild slip under her shirt or even a little finger dancing somewhere but Dean had kept his hands to himself like the perfect gentleman he had consistently shown to be. 

“Well um, it sounds like he really wants to go....so, you should really let him go over there. If he wants to.”

She inhaled another gasp when the flicker in his eyes intensified. 

“Oh yeah, he wants to,” he replied emphatically. “He really, really wants to stay over, as long as, you know, he’s welcome to. But I just want to be sure it’s not too soon for something like this because, you know, they haven’t known each other that long, but they do have a lot in common. What are your feelings about that? Is it too soon for a.....sleep over?”

Buffy felt her cheeks burning with heat as the weight of his gaze lingered. Even though they had only been on two evening dates and a handful of lunch time ones, she learned a great deal about him and couldn’t deny the affection and attraction swarming in her heart whenever he was around.

As thoughts hovered in her mind for a second, Dean brushed a hand over her hair in an affectionate manner before he pressed a sweet kiss on her forehead. She relished in his subtle gesture of affection and smiled as he took her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

When his eyes fell upon hers to cast a deep gaze, she had to admit, that despite not being a sexually aggressive girl by nature, she was truly comfortable in traveling toward that next step, sooner rather than later.

She gulped at that astounding revelation. 

“Um, no, I uh....I don’t think so....I mean, even if they haven’t known each other too long, they seem to have hit it off really well......”

“Yeah, they have so uh, I’ll set it up. He’s going to be dying with excitement because you know....it’s been a LONG time since he’s been able to be with...company...he may even want to stay through the morning, maybe even...the late morning - as long as that’s okay.....”

She let out another soft gasp as she gulped again.

“So when do you think I should call and uh set that up?”

She noticed his eyes searching hers for a second. She let out a very soft breath as the heat in her cheeks thickened.

“Um, whenever he would want to go over there,” she said softly.

Dean swept away the first thought that surfaced in his mind– tomorrow.

“So, like in the next weekend or two?” he asked.

Buffy drew a very shy smile and gulped.

“Um, that sounds about right,” she answered softly.

A short silence slumped into the air before it was cut by a classic rock tune. Dean sighed softly before he fished out his cell phone. He looked at the time. 

“Hello? Hey Kennedy....yeah, I’m sorry about that, I uh....got caught up in...stuff. I’m on my way home.....thanks.”

After he hung up and pocketed his phone, he shifted his eyes to Buffy and gave an incredulous look.

“Wow, the uh, night kind of just slipped by me,” he said. “My babysitter needs to get home so....”

Buffy nodded in understanding as they slowly got to their feet. Dean blew out another long breath as he felt the sting of desire prickling every part of his body. Buffy walked him to the door as he gazed down at her. She drifted back into his arms and embraced him. She was caught off guard by the tension that remained in his body as she was tucked within his arms. She heard him release a deep breath as she hitched her eyes up and smiled.

“I had a very, lovely evening,” she said softly. 

Dean pressed back the blaring recognition of her body lining against his. His mind blasted with an assortment of images of what treasures were hidden beneath the layers of her clothes. He let out another deep breath as he flushed away the thoughts and pushed a smile over his face.

“Yeah, it was amazing, as always,” he said.

After a brief kiss goodbye, Buffy watched him walk out the door and get in his car. She waved as he pulled from the curb and took off down the street. Her heart beat still hammered behind her rib cage as she shut the door. As her mind reflected upon the previous minutes, she felt her body tingling intensely. She let out a deep breath.

“Oh boy,” she gasped softly.

 

Dean groaned at the thought of another painfully cold shower as he pulled into his garage. After he settled his tab with Kennedy, he peeled off his jacket when he heard the doorbell ring. 

“You won’t believe it but my car has a flat,” Kennedy moaned. “I must have run over something when Sammy and I came back from dinner.”

Dean blinked a few times before he drifted back out the door. After he circled the mini Cooper, he saw the rear right tire was severely imploded. 

“I’ll grab the jack from my garage.”

“I’m so sorry to have to bother you,” Kennedy lamented.

Dean shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll have you up and running in a bit. Do me a favor, go back inside the house and hit the button to open the garage and then hang out, I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

“Thanks Dean.”

He flashed a smile as Kennedy trotted into the house. A few seconds later, he heard the whirring of the automatic door sliding open. He snatched up the jack and let out a breath of relief as he started to feel the tension in his body winding down and the unsettling amount of salacious thoughts drifted away and fixated on the task of changing a tire.

Thank god for small distractions, he thought.


	7. Feels Like the First Time

Early Sunday morning, as the sun was barely peeking out from the horizon, Dean was rudely awakened by a painfully stiff tension in the lower half of his body. As he drifted out of his slumber, his eyes slowly widened with recognition. 

“Aw man,” he moaned softly.

Thoughts of his amazing date from the previous night had surely rattled loose a few illicit images while he slept. He let out another groan as he stumbled out of bed and rubbed his hands over his face. He grimaced when the slightest movement seemed to aggravate the tension even more. As his eyes regarded the shower in despair, he let out a long breath. He noted the time and slowly got up and threw some clothes on. 

After looking in on Sammy, he drew a smile. He shuffled passed Sammy’s room and down the stairs. He would let Sammy sleep another few hours since there was no game scheduled that day. Feeling his nerves growing jittery by the minute, he passed on his usual morning coffee and dove into cleaning up a shelf that was overloaded with dusty car magazines. 

He sat down on the couch and started to organize the large stack into several different piles, ones to keep, ones to recycle and ones to take into the shop to leave in the front office lounge. As he flipped through the pages of some to decide whether to store it away, he glanced at a busty model posing seductively over a car hood. He widened his eyes and snapped the magazine shut, tossing it in the recycle pile. 

When he felt more tension wracking his body, he cleared his throat several times, hoping to extract the intense heat brewing in his veins. After flipping the first page of another magazine, he swiftly closed it and tossed the remainder of his collection in the recycle pile. 

After finishing that project, Dean jumped right into sweeping the garage. Shortly after completing that task, he began dusting the entertainment unit in the living room. Shortly after that, he went around from room to room collecting all the small trash bags which he eventually dumped in a larger one. He heaved a sigh of relief when he felt the tension in his body gradually loosening up. 

When he caught a glance of the calendar pinned to the fridge door, his eyes drifted across the days leading up to the approaching weekend and soon his mind sparked with the previous night’s conversation. He drew out a breath as the heat in his veins began to rise quickly at the realization that Buffy had been quite receptive to his mild suggestion of taking the next step. Half of him, the logical side of him, had brought it up in jest, fully prepared to be shot down if she felt they were propelling the intimacy too quickly. But the fact that she had acknowledged she was in the same frame of mind had surprised him a little and excited him a lot. 

Feeling his body go rigid from the flurry of heavily exciting thoughts that crashed through his mind at that moment, he blew out a breath and sunk his head in agony.

“Oh man....stop thinking about it,” he groaned.

Dean blinked several times to stir himself out of his daze before he drew an irritated look.

“Oh – fudge - me....I CAN’T stop thinking about it.”

As he anxiously bounced in his stance a few times, he pushed off toward the door leading to the back yard. After fishing out the lawn mower from the tool shed, he yanked on the motor cord and began ambling over the grass. 

 

Sammy let out a big yawn as he drifted awake. He heard a motor humming downstairs and wearily stumbled out of bed. When he got downstairs, he didn’t see his daddy in the living room or the kitchen. He followed the sounds of the motor to the backyard and poked his head out the door. He saw his daddy pushing the lawn motor around at great speed. 

“Hi daddy!”

Dean jumped in his antsy state when he heard Sammy behind him. He swung around to see Sammy waving from the door. He turned the lawn mower off and set it aside before he trekked over to the porch.

“Hey Sammy, you want breakfast now?”

“Okay.”

Dean let out a breath as he started going through the small selection of pans in a cabinet. 

“What do you feel like today? Cereal or eggs or toast? Or all three? I can make all three I guess. Yeah, I’ll uh make all three.”

Dean bounded around the kitchen opening various cabinets and collecting cooking utensils and ingredients from the fridge. He settled everything on the island counter before he swiped up a frying pan and began to twirl it around several times as he became lost in thought. 

Sammy blinked in wonder as his daddy seemed to race around the kitchen.

“Daddy? Are you okay? You’re like Speedy Gonzales.”

Dean paused very briefly in his stance. 

“Uh, yeah I’m fine buddy, I just woke up with a lot of energy this morning.”

Dean tried to stamp out the thoughts threatening to take over his mind again. He forced himself to focus on making a decent meal as Sammy climbed onto his seat at the table. 

“How was your date with Buffy daddy?”

Dean blew out a breath when just hearing her name drove his mind wild with thoughts. He shifted a few times in his stance before he drew a smile.

“It was really nice Sammy,” he said. 

Dean swept up the box of cereal on the fridge along with a bowl and spoon. 

“So she’ll be my mommy now?”

Dean paused in the midst of shaking out some cereal into Sammy’s bowl.

“Sammy, I told you before that it’s going to take some time for daddy to figure things out, but, I like her a lot and she seems to like me so, it’s a good start.”

Dean drifted back to the fridge and took out the milk before he returned to Sammy. After pouring some over the cereal, he took a seat as Sammy dove into the bowl.

“Say Sammy, you know how you’ve been asking me for quite awhile if you could spend a weekend at Max’s house but I’ve been putting it off?”

Sammy pondered over the name but couldn’t recall who his daddy was talking about. He nodded emphatically.

“Well, I haven’t talked to his dad yet but he said whenever you wanted to go over there was fine and that he would have some fun science stuff for you and Max to do.”

Sammy brightened with excitement. 

“I like science!” 

Dean chuckled at Sammy’s enthusiasm.

“Yeah, I know you do. That’s why I know you’re going to be really happy when I tell you.....you can stay at Max’s this weekend if you want.”

“Okay!..........What will you do all by yourself daddy?”

Dean blew out a breath as he sat back in his seat. 

“Uh, well, I’ll uh....figure something out.”

Sammy stuffed a big scoop of cereal in his mouth.

“Maybe Buffy can keep you company.”

Dean widened his eyes a little and cleared his throat. 

“Uh....yeah, maybe she can.”

As his veins boiled hot again, Dean shot to his feet. 

“I’m going to clean.....something.”

“Can I help you daddy?”

“No, no, you eat Sammy, watch some TV.”

“Okay.”

Sammy watched as his daddy zipped out of the kitchen. He blinked in amazement when his daddy seemed to bounce off the walls while vacuuming the living room and picking up items off the floor at the same time. 

When Dean stopped into the kitchen to discard some trash, Sammy glanced up at him. 

“Daddy, maybe you shouldn’t have any more Coke or cupcakes this morning.”

Dean blinked as Sammy looked at him in wonder.

“Um, yeah, Sammy, you’re right...no more sugar for me, I’m practically bouncing off the walls like you were when you ate too many of those cupcakes.”

Sammy nodded. “My head hurt later.”

Dean heaved a breath when he felt a distinct tightening in his lower half.

“Yeah, I remember and my uh head.....hurts too.”

Later that evening, Xander stopped by at Dean’s request to help him tackle few leaky faucets in the house. When the doorbell rang, Sammy zipped over and tugged the door open. 

“Hey Sammy, is your daddy around?”

Sammy nodded upstairs. “He’s upstairs in the bathroom. He had too much caffeine and is dancing now.”

Xander blinked at the odd statement and scratched his head. 

“Oh, okay.”

Sammy ran to the foot of the stairs.

“Daddy!” he hollered. 

“Oh, that’s okay Sammy, I’ll find him.”

Xander trekked up the stairs as Sammy went back to reading his book in the living room. Xander swung a glance into the guest bathroom and caught Dean installing a new shower rod. Dean noticed Xander and nodded.

“Hey Xan-man, thanks for coming by.”

“No prob,” Xander replied. “I know that kids have big imaginations but you are in no way dancing.”

Dean paused and blinked with confusion.

“Huh? What are you talking about man?”

Xander reiterated Sammy’s comment. Dean sighed and shook his head.

“Oh, yeah uh, I guess I’ve been a little on the energetic side.”

Dean stepped out of the bathtub and opened up the cabinet under the sink. Xander set his toolbox down and spun the faucets to check the source of the leak. 

“I’m taking it that all this energy has to do with a certain blonde mommy potential?”

Dean leaned against the sink as Xander gathered a wrench.

“Yeah, like you brought up before, those wheels are cranking fast and furious.”

Xander settled onto the floor and examined the pipes.

“So no score last night on date number two?”

“No, and I’m telling ya man, I feel like I’m a recovering crack addict who got a little fix and is hankering for more. I mean, I can’t seem to get it off my mind, I’ve cleaned and dusted and organized everything in this house about five or six times. You could eat off this floor it’s so clean.”

Xander blinked several times in astonishment before he faded out of his daze. 

“Well, if it’s any consolation, the house does seem impeccably tidy.”

“I’ve been trying to keep my hands busy with other things.”

Xander tightened a few pipes as he eyed Dean.

“You talk to Buffy yet about doing the horizontal tango?”

Dean blinked as Xander finished up and got to his feet. 

“Yeah I uh told her about Sammy wanting to stay over at Max’s...”

“Oh you used the kid card to hint that you want her really badly, huh?”

Dean winced a bit. “Was that horrible? I mean, I tried to find the most inoffensive way possible to bring it up.”

Xander cocked his head. “Well, considering how you didn’t use to care in the past how you offended a girl, I’d say no, not the most horrible thing you’ve done. Did she take offense?”

“No and that’s kind of the main reason why I’ve been so antsy because she was completely on the same page.”

Dean blew out a breath as he felt his body firming up again. 

“Oh god, here we go again,” he moaned. “I have a couple more leaky faucets.”

Dean ambled out of the guest bath and wandered to the master bedroom. Xander followed him into the master bath and noticed several pieces of small hardware on the ground.

“I decided to change out the cabinet knobs, don’t ask me why.”

“So when are you sealing the deal?”

Dean cleared his throat as he began tearing the packages of hardware pieces open.

“Uh, next weekend. I think.”

“Oh, well then I guess you’ll be doing a lot more cleaning and fixing stuff until then.”

“Yeah, and some of the guys are going to be out next week so I’ll be able to stay busy covering for them.”

“You know, feel free to come over to my house and channel some of that energy. I haven’t seen my basement floor in ages and Anya would be thrilled if you started checking things off her ‘honey do’ list, as long as it’s not her.”

Dean began unscrewing the notches in the cabinet.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Dean glanced back at Xander to see his suspicious frown.

“I meant the list, not her man, come on, you know I would never do that.”

After a brief second, Xander nodded. “Yeah, she’s resigned to deal with me for the rest of her life even though she’s been harping me a lot about not being the same guy she married.”

“What? Why would she say that?”

Xander shrugged as he worked under the sink.

“She claims I’ve gained about ten pounds over the years. She was trying to get me to start on a diet because she thinks I’ve gotten a little ragged around the middle but our sex life is so non existent she wouldn’t even know it. And she says, ‘oh I know it, I’ve seen how your naked body has changed and it does not make me want to have sex.”

Dean stopped twisting the new knob into the cabinet as Xander went on.

“So I tell her ‘well, I’m the only naked man you’ll ever see again hon so you better get used to this non sexy body!’ I mean, so what if I’ve noticed a little spare tire growing, it’ll keep me warm in the winter months. And SHE said, ‘Little spare tire? That’s a damn inflatable raft that seats twelve! And then she proceeded to tell me that whenever I’m stressed out or nervous I inhale food without realizing it, like on our first date when I ate ten hot dogs and two scoops of ice cream.”

When a thought drifted in his mind, Dean widened his eyes and stood up. He slowly padded over to the floor length mirror across from the shower as Xander continued his rant. 

“....then right before we um, made Jack, she gave me this look because my stomach was swollen from eating too much....”

Dean widened his eyes even more as he stood sideways and studied his profile. He posed with perfect posture and scrutinized his physique. 

“...so she thought I was fat and told me she didn’t find a belly that attractive but by that point she didn’t care.....”

Dean pulled up the bottom of his shirt and glanced in the mirror as Xander scrambled back from the sink and heaved a huge sigh.

“Man I feel so much better now,” he said.

Dean shifted in his stance as he reflected upon the amount he had eaten on his dates over the past few weeks. 

Two sandwiches, endless scoops of potato and macaroni salad, pie, a beer, a couple handfuls of popcorn, five mini tacos, two mini burritos, a combo chicken and mashed potato plate......

Dean widened his eyes yet even more when his mind continued to rattle off item after item of food that he had consumed.

Oh my god. 

“You’re really lucky man. I’m sure you haven’t bent out of shape a bit,” Xander remarked. 

“Uh.....right.”

Xander got to his feet as Dean stared critically at his profile in the mirror. 

“Anything else you need tightened up?”

Dean blinked a few times before he shrouded an offended look and whipped around.

“What?”

Xander shot him an odd look.

“Whatcha doing?”

Dean dropped his shirt back down and fidgeted slightly.

“Uh nothing I uh.....”

Xander shifted in his stance when he heard his cell phone ringing in his pocket. 

“Hi hon......okay, sure, I’ll be home in about ten minutes.”

Xander sighed as he put his cell phone away. 

“I got to get going,” Xander replied. 

“Oh, okay, well thanks for coming by man. I appreciate it.”

Xander observed Dean as he continued to stare in the mirror. 

“You okay Dean? I have a few minutes before I have to leave if you want to get something off your mind.”

After a long minute, Dean blinked out of his trance. 

“Uh, no, no.....I’m fine......”

He shifted forward and ambled out into the hallway. He walked Xander down the stairs and to the door. 

“We still on for tomorrow night man?”

Dean nodded. “Yeah, of course, but I think I’m going to eat something here before I meet up with you.”

“Okay, cool,” Xander replied. “Oh and bring Buffy if ya want. I’d like to meet her.”

Dean leaned in the doorway as he glanced at Sammy who was watching Bill Nye on television.

“Oh, okay, I’ll see if she’s interested. Have a good night man.”

“You too and....I meant what I said about cleaning my basement so....if you’re still pumped up on energy, swing on by anytime.”

“Okay man, thanks.”

Dean swung the door shut and shuffled over to Sammy. 

“Time to get ready for bed kiddo,” he said.

Sammy moped as he looked up.

“But Bill Nye is going to show the rocket ship he made out of aluminum. Can I stay up a little longer? Please daddy?”

Dean heaved a breath. “Okay, just until you see that rocket ship but then you have to go to bed. You have school tomorrow.”

Sammy grinned as he moved over on the couch.

“Wanna see it daddy?”

Dean eyed the television as Bill Nye came back on. He groaned low in his throat but pried a smile on his face.

“Sure.”

Dean settled down on the couch next to Sammy and watched his wide eyed enthusiasm as Bill Nye animatedly revealed his latest invention. 

“That’s so cool, isn’t it daddy?”

“Yeah Sammy, it’s really cool.”

Dean ruffled the hair on the top of his head and smiled. As he tried to watch the show with Sammy, his body began to unwind the tension that had grappled him over the past few hours. Dean drew a breath and flashed a pleasant smile.

Bill Nye was better than a cold shower, he thought.

 

Monday morning, Sammy rolled out of bed and darted down the stairs. He heard music in the living room and ran around the couch to see his daddy doing sit ups. 

“Morning daddy!”

Dean hitched his body up and paused to take a deep breath. He swept a hand across his face and wiped off the thick layer of sweat.

“Hey Sammy. Give me one second and I’ll get breakfast ready.”

Sammy bolted into the kitchen and fetched his own bowl and cup. Dean ambled in several minutes, breathing hard. He took pause when he noticed Sammy had found his bowl and the box of cereal and had poured his own milk. 

“Oh, you took care of your own breakfast.”

Sammy nodded. “You looked busy daddy so I got it myself.”

Dean grew a little misty eyed. “Wow, you’re growing up so fast Sammy.....quit it. And I’m never too busy for you.”

Dean fetched the juice box out of the fridge and poured Sammy a glass before mixing up a beige powdered concoction. 

Sammy grimaced at the sludge in his daddy’s glass.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a milk shake.”

“How come I can’t have one?”

Dean took a small sip of the shake and swallowed it down.

“It’s a shake for grownups who are concerned about.....fitness.”

“Is it yummy?”

“Not really but it’s all I’m eating this morning. I’m going to take a quick shower, so when you’re done start getting ready for school, okay?”

“Okay daddy.”

Dean trudged up the stairs and forced more of the protein shake down. He peeled off his sweaty tee shirt and assessed himself in the mirror from all angles. 

“I’m not bent out of shape......”

Dean scrutinized every inch of his abdomen. He stood perfectly straight and let out a long breath. He didn’t really believe he had let himself go over the years but with work responsibilities, coaching Sammy’s team and taking care of the house, his nutritional habits had drastically fallen by the wayside. Plus, it had been a very long time since a girl had seen him in the complete flesh so who knew how much his body had changed. Although Buffy hadn’t exuded a vain bone in her body, it was only natural for young women to desire a physically fit guy. 

Dean blew out a long breath and stopped himself from studying the mirror any more.

“I’m driving myself crazy.”

He shook his head before he peeled the rest of his clothes off and hopped in the shower.

Buffy heard a squeal as she poured coffee into her mug. She swung around to see Willow. After Willow summarized her trip, she settled down and snatched up a pastry from a plate. 

“So tell me about the second date!”

Willow listened with intense interest as Buffy gave brief highlights of her second date. 

“Oh my gosh.....he said that he wanted to....”

Buffy gulped as her cheeks warmed with color.

“Um yeah.”

“And then you implied that you wanted to.....”

Buffy gulped again. “Yeah.”

“Ohhhhhh. So you two are going to.....”

“Yeah,” Buffy squeaked softly.

She gasped a little in her throat as her cheeks deepened with color.

“Oh my goodness! Are you nervous? You must be nervous cuz you know, it’s the big third date, but you did have daytime dates so maybe it’s not really a ‘third’ date but if you’re going with strictly evening outings as ‘dates’ then OH, I’m babbling again!”

Willow fanned herself as she tried to steady her breathing. When she stabilized, she widened her eyes. 

“So, are you nervous?”

Buffy gulped yet again as her mind swam with thoughts.

“Um, yeah, it has been quite awhile since I’ve been um....intimate with a guy and you know my track record.”

“But it could be different cuz you said with those other doofs that they didn’t make you feel all gooey inside when they kissed you or looked at you or smiled at you.”

Buffy drew a shy smile as her cheeks still stung with color.

“Yeah....it could be different.....”

“But?”

Buffy blew out a breath as she shifted in her stance. 

“But....I don’t know, I really, REALLY like him but I can’t help feel like this is the honeymoon period, you know when things are good and then something happens to totally quash that.....”

“You think he’s going to be bad in....ya know?”

Buffy recalled Anya’s inappropriate rants and slowly shook her head.

“Um, I don’t want to set any expectations but....I do have a few....concerns....I just don’t know how to bring it up. I should bring it up, right?”

Willow nodded after she took a big sip of coffee.

“You really should talk before you two get.....you know and make sure you go into.....you know, without any regrets. But from everything you’ve told me, it sounds like Dean is pretty open to talking about issues.”

“Yeah, it kind of still blows my mind how much he actually listens to me. Even when I went on for ten minutes about this mall sale, he just sat there listening....with genuine interest.”

Willow smiled. 

“I told you he’s a good guy. It will all work out. I know it.”

“I hope so.”

Willow jumped when the first warning bell blared in the hallway.

“Oh! Time for class. Gosh, I got so used to the serenity of the Canadian mountains that I still haven’t acclimated back to being in the hustle and bustle of life here.....well, Kansas life at least.”

Buffy smiled and picked up her coffee mug as she followed Willow out into the hall.

 

Dean eased into the parking lot of the auto shop and noticed Richie’s truck and Cass’ Mustang in the employee spots. He slipped between the two vehicles. After he climbed out of his car, he narrowed his eyes on the back of the Mustang. The Jesus fish hanging on the corner of the car was lopsided. Dean hitched the fish level before he headed toward the service office.

When he breezed inside, he eyed the repair man on a ladder tweaking the television set in the lobby. Richie was hanging out at the front desk, flipping through the service calendar when he noticed Dean dropping a thick stack of car magazines in the reception area. 

Richie shuffled over and eyed the pile. He sifted through a few.

“What’s this? Giving up your collection? Oh man, I’ve got this one. Greta Lopez is leaning over this sweet Corvette in a little white bikini, if you angle it just right you can see her....”

Dean cleared his throat and quickly deflected the rest of the comment.

“Keep it. What’s wrong with the set?”

Richie glanced at the television.

“It’s been popping in and out of reception since I turned it on this morning. I thought you were going to replace it with a new flat screen.”

“Yeah I want to but I promised Caleb I’d replace some of the tools that are getting worn.”

Dean blinked when he heard static on the TV and then noticed an old music video of Olivia Newton John playing.

“Let’s get physical, physical, I want to get physical.....”

Richie noticed Dean staring up at the set and grinned.

“Oh Miss Olivia Newton John, she was pretty hot back in the day, don’t ya think?”

“Let me hear your body talk, body talk....”

Dean widened his eyes as he felt a distinct stirring rumbling through his system again. He groaned almost inaudibly as he dropped off his bag in his office before ambling into the garage.   
He eyed Cass tinkering under a car lift and noticed the blaring silence. He shuffled over to the stereo.

“It’s too quiet in here.”

Cass shrugged. “I quite like the silence. It’s peaceful.”

“Well, I’m the boss and I vote for some tunes to keep me....focused.”

Dean settled onto his stool and flipped the radio on as he paged through a clipboard. After a minute, he blinked when he realized the song playing on the radio.

“I've been really tryin', baby  
Tryin' to hold back this feelin' for so long  
And if you feel like I feel, baby  
Then come on, oh come on  
Let's get it on, oh baby  
Let's get it on...”

 

Dean let out a very soft groan as he fumbled with the dial. He frowned as he glanced back at Cass.

“Remind me to talk to the night crew manager about messing with the radio.”

He rolled the dial to his favorite classic rock station as he pulled a few service invoices off the small work station. After another brief minute, he blinked in annoyance at the Rolling Stones song playing on the radio.

“I can’t get no- satisfaction.......”

Dean frowned and groaned, “Oh come on.”

“Is something bothering you Dean?” Cass asked.

“Just my libido,” Dean grumbled under his breath.

“Sorry?”

“Nothing, no....go back to work man.”

Dean shot his eyes across the garage and noticed Richie still lounging around in the lobby. He deepened his irritated frown and snatched up the house phone fastened to the wall. He buzzed the intercom in the lobby and watched as Richie casually strolled over to the phone.

“What’s up?”

Dean heaved a frustrated breath. 

“Business hours are on man, get your ass in here and get to work,” he barked.

Dean hung the phone up and rolled his stool over to a Honda in the corner of the garage and started fervently working under the hood.   
Richie ambled into the garage and paused at Cass’ station. The two whispered low for several seconds. Dean shifted his eyes away from the hood and glanced at the guys.

“Hey, chatty ladies, get back to work,” he said sharply.

Richie and Cass broke away and occupied their stations. Dean blew out a breath and shook his head. 

 

A few hours later, Richie looked out at the parking lot as an assembly line of huge Oldsmobiles rolled in. 

“Hey Dean, are you running some senior citizen’s special today?”

Dean heaved another frustrated breath as he swung his eyes to Richie’s sights. He stared at the old ladies getting out of their cars and sighed. 

“Oh geez, here we go,” he grumbled under his breath. 

Four elderly ladies in pastel colored suits strolled up to the garage. The group was led by Genevieve Holt, the town’s resident bible thumper. She flashed a congenial smile at Cass as she wandered into the garage.

“Oh Cass, lovely to see you again! I so enjoyed seeing you and your wife at Mass last week. You are both devout, heavenly souls you are.”

Dean swallowed back the unsettling odor that had penetrated the usual scent of motor oil and gasoline. Genevieve finished up her chat with Cass and strolled over to Dean. 

“Why hello Dean,” she chimed.

Dean pulled out the fuel tank and set it down before he wiped his greasy hands on a rag. 

“Hey Miss Holt, it’s.....good to see you. What can I do for you?”

“Oh, my automobile is making a noise.”

Dean stamped back the cauldron of frustration raging through him as he feigned a polite smile.

“Hmm, they do that.”

Miss Holt widened her smile. “Yes, it’s coughing I say. Anyways, I thought since I had to come in to have it looked at, I would bring by some literature for you.”

Dean cocked an eyebrow as Miss Holt rummaged through a huge blue bag.

“Literature?”

“Yes, I heard you were with a young and pretty lady friend last week.”

Dean feigned an innocent look. “Oh, did you?”

Genevieve fished out a handful of brochures and a pocket sized Bible. She handed all of the literature to Dean. He forced another polite smile as he glanced over the brochures: “Premarital Sex and Your Soul”, “Fornication and Condemnation” and “How to Get Back into the Lord’s Palace after Sinning”. 

Dean swallowed a huge groan rumbling at the base of his throat. 

“I included a travel size bible and highlighted passages for you so you can take it anywhere. You can refer to it when you are tempted by the evils of lust. Wouldn’t want you to go down the same path you did before.”

Dean heaved a deep breath when he noticed Cass and Richie observing him from their stations. He feigned an appreciative smile.

“Uh, thanks I uh appreciate you trying to look out for me.”

Genevieve folded her hands together and grinned. “Yes. The Lord saw fit to bless your life even after you sinned abhorrently before the birth of your child. Blessed be.”

Dean blew out a breath as he stood up.

“Uh, let me take a look at your car, see what the problem is.”

The three other ladies hovered around him as he yanked the hood of Genevieve’s Oldsmobile up. As he listened to the engine, one of the ladies with thick red and pepper hair flashed him a smile.

“So who is this young lady Dean? Agnes said she was quite stunning, is she a Swedish model? We all thought she might be a Swedish model from one of those car shows you always go to.”

Dean lifted his eyes from the hood and drew an incredulous look.

“Uh, no, she’s not a Swedish model.”

Another lady from the group with a dark brown beehive cut fawned over Dean.

“Oh, well Maude said when she saw you at the barbeque place you were simply gushing over the girl.”

The third lady straightened her pastel green blazer and gave a smile.

“Yes, Maude said the girl seemed very vivacious.”

“Are you going to marry her before you have relations?” Genevieve asked from the driver seat. “You wouldn’t want to be a sinner and be separated from Sammy when he goes to Heaven.”

Dean swallowed a deep grumble as the four pack continued to bombard him with questions. He stamped the hood down and gave a civil smile.

“You need to let your engine warm up for a bit during these cold months Miss Holt. I don’t see anything wrong but you can schedule a full maintenance check next week when I have more mechanics on staff.”

Genevieve smiled and gave a dismissive wave. 

“Oh that’s alright honey, if the Lord takes me to Heaven while on the road than that is His will. I hope to see you in church and don’t forget to peruse the literature I brought you. It would be a shame to lose such a redeemed soul as yours to lust again.”

“Uh, right.”

Dean struggled to keep a chain of groans from tumbling out of his mouth hugged by a few curse words long absent from his vocabulary. He gave a short, polite wave as the cavalry of Oldsmobiles peeled out of the parking lot. 

When he ambled back into the garage, Richie was grinning from ear to ear. He waved one of the brochures at Dean.

“Premarital Sex and Your Soul, huh? Who you thinking about having the premarital sex with Dean?”

Dean snatched the brochure from Richie and glared at him.

“Get back to work,” he grunted. 

 

As the lunch hour neared, Dean was inspecting a car raised on a lift when he noticed a patrol car veering into the parking lot. Jo climbed out and strolled over to Cass when the garage phone rang. Richie snatched up the phone with a greasy hand. 

“Winchester Auto,” he said. “Yep, hang on.”

Dean glanced at Cass as he and Jo huddled in a corner.

“Hey Dean, you got a call....it’s a girl,” he chimed.

Richie drew a smug smile as Dean took the receiver and glared at him briefly before shifting out of his agitated mood.

“This is Dean.”

Richie wiped his hands and noticed Dean had significantly changed expressions from a disgruntled frown to an enthusiastic smile.

“Hey......no but thanks, I’ll probably work through lunch today, yeah I’ve only got two mechanics and a load of stuff to do....no, no, that’s okay you don’t have to do that......oh, well...okay, uh...something light I guess....nothing too fattening.....yeah I’m feeling okay. Sure, that sounds good. I’ll be here.....bye.”

Dean hung up and felt the weight of Richie’s silly grin. He shook his head as Cass and Jo headed out to lunch. 

“Go and take your lunch Richie,” Dean grumbled. “Give me some peace man.”

Richie shrugged. “I brought my lunch.”

“Well go eat it in the back.”

Richie grinned some more before he wandered out of the garage.

 

A little after one o’clock, Buffy pulled into the parking lot of the auto shop and climbed out of her car. She passed by a Sheriff’s car as she strolled up to the garage station. She met the eyes of a dark haired man with an intense expression on his face. He nodded an acknowledgment. She gave a polite smile as another guy with dark curly hair eyed her curiously. She noticed the name tag fastened to his shirt.

“Hello miss,” Richie said. “Can I help you with something?”

“Oh, I’m actually here to see Dean, is he around?”

Richie flashed a grin. “Oh, you want to see Dean.....interesting.....yeah, he’s in his office. Go on in through that door and then a quick right.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Buffy brushed off the unsettling gaze from Richie as she ambled over to a door at the far end of the garage. After wandering down a hall, she made a right and spotted Dean in a large window. She paused in her tracks and shifted uncomfortably in her stance when she watched him embracing a blonde girl with a joyful expression on his face.

Buffy heaved a deep breath as she stumbled back a few steps before retreating through the hallway to the garage. She drew another breath as a pang of nerves stung her stomach. Richie met her eyes as she peeled into the garage. 

“Did you not find him?”

“Um, I um....should probably just um....wait in the lobby.”

Buffy darted off toward the door leading to the service desk and ambled around. A few minutes later, she heard the door behind her creak open. She swung around to see Dean popping his head in.

“Hey, I thought one of those chuckleheads would have showed you back to my office. I guess I have to do everything around here.”

He drew a wide smile as he moved inside. 

“How are you?”

Buffy shifted in her stance as her mind raced with troubling thoughts. She tried to bat them away as his friendly smile lingered. 

“Um, I’m okay....been busy. You?”

“I’m hanging in there. Had a rough morning but then things started looking up.”

Buffy spied a look out the lobby window and saw the blonde girl angling into the Sheriff’s car. 

“I um, brought you um a turkey sandwich, with light mayo and um...no cheese, I hope that’s okay.”

Dean dropped his eyes to the bag that she handed him. 

“Yeah, it’s fine, thank you for bringing me something. I probably wouldn’t have eaten anything.”

Buffy blinked out of her scrutinizing gaze and shifted her sights on Dean. 

“Oh, are you not feeling well?”

“No, I’ve just been too busy with stuff. Can you hang out for a little while or do you have to get back?”

“I uh, should get back. Willow and I got talking and before we knew it our hour was over.”

Dean exuded his disappointment. 

“Oh okay, I actually meant to call you last night but Sammy wanted to stay up for a little bit and then he roped me into a story and then I got into some home improvement projects and by that point it was pretty late. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Buffy saw the deep affection in his eyes as he smiled at her.

“I know it’s kind of last minute but uh are you doing anything tonight? A buddy of mine is having a little gathering to celebrate his birthday. It’s nothing fancy just some dinner and drinks at Willy’s Bar.”

“Um.....”

Feeling and seeing her hesitation, Dean edged a little closer to her and showed his concern.

“Are you okay? I’m swamped but if you want to talk about something, I can get one of my lazy minions to hold down the fort,” he cracked.

Buffy studied him for a minute and began to question the encounter in his office with the mystery woman. She didn’t want to believe that after all this time, after all their amazing dates that he was still living up to his painted reputation. She blew out a breath as she noticed the flicker of concern flaring brightly in his eyes. 

“I’m fine, really,” she said. 

“Oh, okay. So.......are you up for going out?”

“Yes, sure, it sounds like fun. I’d love to meet your friends.”

“They want to meet you too. I’ll swing by about six-thirty – I’m going to skip the menu fare – unless you feel like eating there.”

“Um, no, I’ll eat before you come over. I’ve got errands to run after work anyway.”

Buffy eyed the clock above the reception desk.

“I need to get back to work,” she said.

“I’ll walk you out.”

“No, no, you eat. I can manage. I’ll see you later.”

Dean swung the door wide and held it open for her. She gave a sweet smile as she wandered out. Dean walked her to the foot of the garage and watched her as she got into her car. When he heard a sharp whistle, he swung around and frowned at Richie’s grinning face.

“So, that’s Miss Bible Brochure.....wow Dean, have to say, if I’m gonna be a sinner, that’s certainly a great reason to.”

Dean deepened his frown. “Be respectful Richie or you’ll be cleaning out the oil drains for the next couple of months.”

Richie gave a short chuckle as Dean wandered over to Cass. He gave Cass a smile and a pat on the back.

“Congratulations man.”

Cass’ serious expression shifted into a bright smile.

“Yes, this is a blessed day. I shall rejoice with a spirited hymn to the Lord.”

Dean drifted back into his edgy mood. 

“Fine but do that on your own time,” he grumbled.

 

Later that evening, on the way to Willy’s bar, Dean couldn’t help but notice Buffy’s reticent attitude as she stared out the window. After he picked her up, she had given him a small smile but no hug. He felt a sharp rumble in his stomach as his nerves tightened the longer she remained silent. When they walked inside the bar, Buffy followed Dean to an area filled with guys in construction attire and a few couples. Buffy saw a young guy with shaggy dark hair shoot to his feet upon seeing Dean.

“Hey man, glad you could make it. And you must be the famous Buffy. I’m Xander and this is my wife Anya and these are some of my construction guys.”

Buffy blinked with acknowledgment when she saw Anya crammed in a booth with some people. 

“Hi, nice to meet you,” she said with a polite smile. 

“Help yourself to drinks, I’m buying for ten more minutes.”

“No way man, it’s your birthday, I’m buying,” Dean offered with a smile. “What do you want?”

Xander swayed slightly as he held up a green beer bottle. 

“Whatever this delicious stuff is. I’m a little too tipsy to read the label.”

Dean chuckled briefly before he regarded Buffy.

“Do you want a glass of wine or something else?”

“Um, just a club soda, thanks.”

Anya pushed some space free in the booth and grinned at Buffy.

“There is room here for you.”

Buffy gulped as Dean pushed off toward the bar. 

“Um, I’m going to help with the drinks.”

She made a beeline after Dean. He flashed a smile when he noticed her leaning against the bar. She met his eyes briefly before she glanced over at Xander and Anya. When the bartender wandered over, Dean let out a breath when Buffy hadn’t looked back at him.  
He rattled off his drink order as he eyed the beers on tap.

“I’ll take the Light,” he said. 

After returning to Xander’s table with a tray full of drinks, Buffy gently coaxed Dean to sit at a booth a few feet away. Xander drifted around, drunk with happiness and beer, chatting with his guests. When he reached their table, Xander hunkered down in the free chair and started rambling. Buffy smiled as Dean and Xander got into a brief discussion about construction and home improvement projects before she got up.

“I need to excuse myself to the little girls’ room, I’ll be back.”

She shifted a smile on Dean before she made her way to the back of the bar. When she peeled out of a stall to wash her hands, she noticed Anya lingering by the sinks. 

“I’m so glad you came tonight,” Anya replied. “I am anxious to hear all about your amazing time with Dean, please do not refrain from getting graphic. I like graphic.”

Buffy gulped back her protests over Anya’s brusque comments. She ripped a paper towel off and dried her hands as she drummed up the most polite way to respond.

“Um, I’m not really a kiss and tell kind of person,” she replied.

Anya barreled closer to Buffy. “Well, Dean certainly was and yet he hasn’t mentioned anything to Xander about how he gloriously took you to unimaginable peaks of pleasure. So I’m going straight to the source. Is he still amazing? Did you have one after the other? Was it a room to room thing or did you just get horizontal in his car?”

Buffy let out a soft gasp of offense. Anya read her expression and drew a different conclusion.

“Don’t tell me it was bad. No. He’s not bad, he can’t be bad. He’s had much experience. He is the King.”

Buffy felt her stomach turn as she gulped back her biting comments.

“Um, I just remembered that I left my um....microwave on...excuse me.”

Buffy swiftly trekked out of the ladies room and moved through the bar. She stopped at the table where Xander and Dean were still talking. 

“Can you take me home? I don’t want to be a party pooper but I’m just not feeling up to staying any longer.”

Dean eyed her with concern before he got up. “Uh yeah, sure.”

Buffy gave a polite smile to Xander. “Happy Birthday Xander. It was nice to meet you.”

“Yeah! You too!” Xander replied emphatically. “Come back again, okay?”

Buffy picked up her coat and quickly paced over to the front of the bar. Dean paused as he shrugged into his jacket. Xander wobbled as he eyed Buffy curiously.

“She okay man?”

Dean heaved a deep breath as worry painted his face.

“Uh, I don’t know.”

He shifted around and gave Xander a pat on the back.

“Happy Birthday man, don’t get too wasted.”

Xander shrouded a pout.

“It’s my birthday and I can if I want to.”

Dean gave a short wave before he met Buffy at the door. After letting her in the car, he gauged her expression. 

“Is something bothering you? I can’t help but feel these bad vibes from you ever since you came by at lunch today. Did I....do something wrong?”

Buffy let out a deep sigh as she gave an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry to be so down, it’s just......”

She heaved a deeper sigh.

“I have something on my mind,” she admitted softly. “But I’m not sure how to say it or how you’ll take it.”

Dean blinked with dread as his heart began to beat rapidly.

“Uh okay......do you want to go to my house? It’s just around the corner and I’ve got my babysitter for another hour.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Unless.....you’re going to tell me something really horrible like, ‘it’s not you, it’s me.’ Because if it is, I’d ask if you to tell me right here so I can at least go back in the bar and drown in my beer.”

After a long minute, Buffy burst into laughter. 

“Okay, that’s not really helping stave off my concern.”

Buffy clapped a hand over her mouth and forced herself to settle down when she saw the pure fear on his face.

“No, it’s nothing horrible like that,” she assured. “But it is kind of a frank talk about......”

“About what?”

Buffy felt her cheeks shading red.

“Um about.....sleepovers and related stuff.”

Dean nodded with acknowledgment. 

“Ohhhh. Okay. I guess we should have a talk about....that stuff.”

Dean sighed heavily in apprehension as he started the car. After a quick drive, he eased over the driveway and waited for the garage door to swing up. Buffy admired the modest two story house as they pulled into the garage. 

After he cut the engine, he glanced at Buffy.

“I have to warn you, Sammy is probably going to go ballistic when he sees you.”

Buffy shook her head and smiled endearingly. “Oh, that’s okay, I’m excited him to see him too.”

When she followed Dean through a side door leading into the kitchen, she spied Sammy in the living room with his babysitter. 

“Sammy, I’m home early and I brought...a friend.”

Sammy looked over and widened his eyes in delight. 

“Buffy! Buffy!” he squealed.

Sammy bolted over to Buffy and threw his little arms around her leg. He bounced up and down as he looked up at her.

“Hi Buffy! Hi!”

Buffy giggled at his gleeful state as she crouched down and gave him a big hug.

“Hi Sammy, I missed you.”

When she pulled away, Sammy looked up at his daddy.

“Daddy, does this mean that....”

“No Sammy, remember what I told you earlier.”

Sammy nodded before he returned his attention to Buffy.

“Want to watch this movie with me Buffy? Want to see my room?”

Sammy tugged on her hand as Dean gave a sigh before he flashed an affectionate smile.

“Sammy, Buffy and I need to have a grown up talk so go with Kennedy and finish your movie upstairs okay?”

Sammy looked up at Buffy.

“Will you say goodbye before you go?”

“Of course I will sweetie.”

“Will you read me a story before I go to bed?”

Buffy eyed Dean.

“Um, only if your daddy says it’s okay. Go on upstairs and I’ll see you later sweetie.”

Sammy grinned wide as he looked at Buffy then his daddy. He bolted up the stairs as Dean made a quick intro of Kennedy before she wandered after Sammy.

Buffy settled onto the corner angle of the large L shaped couch in the living room as Dean peeled off his jacket and hooked it over a chair.

“Can I get you anything? I don’t have a fancy coffee to offer you or an apple turnover but I may have some Oreos in the back of the cabinet unless Sammy found them.”

Buffy drew an appreciative smile as she shook her head.

“No, I’m fine, thank you.”

“Okay uh, on to the grown up talk then.”

Buffy noticed Dean looking a little tense as he settled on the other side of the L and propped his feet on the ottoman. He raked a hand through his hair as he blew out a deep breath.

“Okay, so, what’s on your mind?”

Buffy curled up her legs behind her and scooted closer to him until she was an arms length away. She gulped before her eyes drifted back to his. 

“I um, I have some....concerns.....”

“About me?”

She slowly nodded and watched his face knot with apprehension.

“I don’t want to pry into your personal life, and I really hope whatever I say doesn’t offend you.”

“Oh geez, you are really buffering me up for one heck of a steamroll, aren’t you?”

She drew a small smile. “No. I just....tonight wasn’t the first time I’ve met Anya.”

“Oh. She does run a boutique downtown.”

“Yeah, that’s where I ran into her and she was.....well, she was very.....blunt about you when she learned I was going on a date with you. She said some things that were very inappropriate......and yet they’ve kind of stuck out in my mind.”

Dean flashed an apologetic expression. “Yeah uh Anya....not the most polite person you’ll ever meet in this town but once you get to know her, she really is a nice girl she just doesn’t feel the need to refrain from making personal comments. So, I’m sorry if she offended you. She does tend to rub people the wrong way.”

“Well rub she did.”

Buffy heaved a deep breath as she got a little lost in the spark in his eyes.

“Is that why you ran out of there? She said something you didn’t like?”

Buffy nodded. “Yeah, and even though I was raised to never say a harsh thing about someone, Anya really made me want to speak my mind. Especially since she was prodding about the um....intimacy of our relationship.”

“Oh, yeah, she does do that.”

“Well, I didn’t appreciate it and I.....well, I was pretty off put by the things she said. She went on and on about how you used to be very....um....social with girls....”

After a minute, Dean balked with recognition before he bellowed with a sigh.

“Oh,” he said softly.

“I’m sorry to have get into this it’s just....I don’t want to go to the next level if I’m feeling....conflicted....”

Dean heaved a deep sigh of regret.

“No, it was bound to come up in such a gossip hungry town like this,” he lamented softly. 

“So you’re not offended?”

“No, it seems like an appropriate time to dig in deep. I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff so.....ask me whatever you want. I just want to put your mind at ease,” he answered sincerely. 

Buffy heaved a breath before she scooted a bit closer to Dean.

“Was.....was Anya exaggerating? I mean she kept referring to you as um.....well, she had a nickname for you.......”

Dean exuded a painful look of recognition. “Let me guess, it has to do with uh....royalty and....furniture?”

“Um, yeah,” she conceded softly.

Dean let out another sigh of remorse. “I’m sorry that Anya made you feel uncomfortable, but you really shouldn’t hold it against her. If it weren’t for the dumb things I did in my past, she wouldn’t have blunt comments to make, so, you can’t really blame her. She’s just being who she is. I gave her the ammo, you know?”

“Still, it’s really none of her business who you do what with.”

“True but Anya is married to one of my best friends and though she can get really, honest, you learn to deal with it once you’ve gotten to know her. I know it seems kind of hard to believe right now, but she truly is a nice girl, a great mom and a devoted wife. She may drive Xander crazy sometimes but she makes him happy.”

Buffy displayed a small smile. “If you vouch for her, I’ll give her the benefit of a doubt. But I didn’t want to talk about Anya.”

“You wanted to talk about what Anya told you about me.”

Buffy watched the deep lines of regret knitting over his face as he drew a long breath.

“I uh, wasn’t the nicest guy back then, in fact, I’ll bet there are quite a lot of people who have another nickname for me that rhymes with.......mass.....”

Buffy giggled briefly as he let out another breath.

“So, unfortunately, Anya’s stories about me aren’t too far fetched....I wish they were but....I can’t change the things I did back then but I do live with regret over them.”

“You’re not that love ‘em and leave ‘em guy anymore?”

Dean blinked several times in wonder and surprise. 

“You have a really good sense about people. I would hope that you could see that I’m nowhere near that guy anymore.”

Buffy propped an elbow on the couch and dropped her head in her hand. Her eyes glazed over with guilt over prodding into such a personal topic.

“I....I’m sorry to doubt you....it’s just....”

She gently snatched his hand up with her free one and gave an assuring squeeze.

“I.....really, really like you,” she admitted softly. “And I’m swimming in these feelings and I....I guess I’m afraid that something will come along to.....drown me.....I don’t know if that makes sense.”

Buffy pulled her head up and dropped her eyes to her lap. After a tense minute, she looked up at Dean. 

“That analogy didn’t make sense,” she lamented. “Um.....”

“No, I get what you’re trying to say....I don’t want to be the one to drown you,” he said. “So whatever concerns, whatever issues you have, just toss them at me and hopefully, I can help keep you afloat.”

After an exchange of long gazes, Buffy drifted a little closer to Dean. 

“I’m not in the game anymore,” he remarked. “Unless it’s Little League.”

Buffy drew a smile when she saw the sparkle return to his eyes and the tight lines on his face fade away.

“I didn’t think you were. I’ve noticed that you don’t have a wandering eye so.....well, when I came by your work at lunch today I wasn’t exactly waiting for you in the lobby. I um, I was sent back to your office and I....I saw you um....hugging another girl and I uh.....I was a little unnerved that maybe what I was told about your past was.....still present.....”

Her eyes shifted to her lap briefly before she met his. 

“Oh,” he remarked. “So hearing the old gossip about me from Anya, combined with seeing me with this mystery woman in my office made you second guess my intentions, am I warm?”

Buffy slowly nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay, well, the stuff from Anya I already addressed. As to second, the girl you saw is Jo, Ellen’s daughter.”

“Ellen’s.....oh....”

“She just found out that she’s having a baby which makes me an uncle, so I was happy for her.”

“Oh, so she’s family.”

Buffy drew a shameful expression as she looked away. After a brief moment, she shifted her sights back on him and noticed the sparkle brightening in his eyes.

“I’m not feeding you a line or keeping you around for my own selfish agenda,” he affirmed. “Sammy’s become incredibly attached to you, but I’m not dating you for him, well, not entirely....I’ve never bothered or enjoyed listening to what a girl had to say, whether it was about work or how she found the cutest pair of shoes in two colors, now I can’t promise shoe conversations are always going to hold my interest but for now, because it’s new I guess, I like it. I like talking to you and being with you even if it’s just a quick hello in the break room.”

As he got caught in the bright gleam in her eyes, he brushed a hand over her hair. 

“What I’m trying to say is....I’m taking this seriously and if you’re worried that when we get to that next stage that I’m going take off before the sun rises, don’t. You’re not just a girl I won’t remember tomorrow. You’re a lot more.”

Buffy looked deep in his eyes and saw the sincerity thickening on his face. She drew a deep gasp in amazement that unlike most guys that had withheld dark quirks of their personality, she couldn’t seem to find one in Dean. Even though he had confirmed the rumors of his past, she had a hard time believing he was anything but a solid guy. 

“Wow, you’re speechless. I guess I still got it, huh?”

As he chuckled to himself, Buffy drifted further into the disappointments of her past. 

“I’m kidding,” he assured.

Buffy nodded as she edged closer to Dean until she brushed up against him. She slipped her arms over him and latched her hands on his shoulder. She gave him an affectionate smile as he shifted down and settled across her lap, resting his head on her thigh. She raked a hand through his hair and caressed his face as he gazed up at her.

“I have something I want to tell you, and um....I’m sure it’s going to surprise you.”

Dean let his amusement fade when he saw the hesitation on her face. After a minute, he widened his eyes a little when a thought rippled through his mind.

“Uh okay.....wait.....are you going to tell me that you’re.....that you’ve never had the uh...fruit from your....tree...picked?”

Buffy blinked several times in surprise before she snickered. 

“Wow uh....never heard that reference before but um....no...”

Dean hitched up an eyebrow. “No what, no you haven’t had your fruit picked or no you have?”

Buffy flushed a deep red as she swallowed a lump of awkwardness in her throat. 

“Um, I’m not....an unpicked fruit,” she clarified softly.

“OH. Well then I don’t think you could surprise me but go ahead tell me what’s on your mind.”

After a minute, Buffy fidgeted on the couch before she let out a deep breath.

“I uh....well, in my past experience I’ve never really enjoyed.....it.”

“It being.....”

Buffy shaded a deeper red. “Um IT it.”

“Oh, I was just checking since we’ve been playing with references....so......”

Dean inhaled a breath to absorb her confession.

“Well.......wow.....never?”

“No.”

“Not even one aspect?”

“Um, not really, the last....well, here’s the frank part....the last three....guys....were not much to um....remember except that it was bad....very bad....to the point I couldn’t wait for it to be over,” she admitted with a grimace.

“Three?”

Buffy drew a remorseful look. “I didn’t really want to get into a numbers game but I didn’t know any other way to explain it.”

“No it’s fine...can’t hold back at this point....so, uh....I’ll say three too....that’s a nice, non-gasp inducing number.”

Dean stamped back the numbers that began racking up in his mind.

I know a three is in there somewhere........

Buffy giggled briefly before she got back into her candid confession.

“So I guess at the heart of this talk is that in the past, the third date has usually ended up with....um a sleepover and that hasn’t really.....well, it’s never gone well and so I’ve come to associate that um....the third date is a bad um.....”

“A bad sex date?”

“Um, well more that it’s....always going to be bad.....”

Buffy glanced away briefly as her cheeks burned hot. Dean widened his eyes in major disbelief.

“Wow. That really does surprise me.”

Buffy fidgeted in her seat for a minute before she settled her eyes back on Dean.

“I guess we have a difference of opinion.”

He drew a mirthful smile as he tapped deep into his memory.

“OH yeah. I really can’t relate.”

After a long minute of silence, Dean blew out a breath and gave a humbled expression.

“Okay, I have to ask and feel free to not answer if you think I’m being....Anya like....”

“No, I’ve interrogated you enough so, it’s only fair.”

“Well, what made it bad? Were these guys like....lacking in....areas or did they uh, release the...rocket ship too soon?”

He chuckled briefly until he noticed her cheeks shading a deeper red. 

“Um....they just had –quirks- that make me associate the whole experience in a negative light and um it sort of....went by in a flash.....there really wasn’t anything for me to um....feel good about.”

“So you didn’t even enjoy the uh....”

Dean looked off as he tried to drum up another funny reference. 

“The uh sneak previews before the big show?” he inquired as he drew an amused grin.

Buffy felt her cheeks scorching hot as she gulped.

“Um, there um....weren’t any.....sneak previews.”

Dean blinked with amazement. 

“God, that’s unfortunate. I feel like I need to apologize on behalf of the male species, you’ve been done a complete injustice.”

He chuckled until he saw her avert her eyes away in a bashful manner.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make light of the situation or make fun of you. I’m just....amazed.....but then again, I can understand your concerns....I mean compatibility in the bedroom can be a relationship killer....at least I’ve heard.....”

“But you’ve never had a bad experience?”

“No, not really,” he admitted. “Even though it’s been quite awhile I haven’t forgotten how....fantastic it is....”

“I’ve heard it can be,” she remarked with a shy smile.

“Well, I think I can make you a believer,” he said with a teasing smile. “I fully accept the responsibility of showing you all the wonders of.....uh....IT.”

He burst into a brief fit of laughter until he noticed her expression blanketing with mild anxiety. He caught a lock of her hair in his hand and began to playfully twirl it around.

“If you’re still feeling conflicted, we can put it off until you’re ready, it’s fine, it really is. I’m not going pressure you into anything. I’ve gone quite awhile without it and I’ll manage going a little longer. I do want to be with you but I want you to be in a mindset where you don’t have any doubts about me so if you want to wait, we’ll wait.”

“What about Sammy? Is he still going to have his sleepover?”

“Yeah, he’s really excited about it and I still want to take you out this weekend but I’ll be able to stay out past my daddy curfew.”

Buffy drew an amused smile. “Well, I’d like that.”

“So, any other questions or concerns?”

“Um......maybe just one other one.”

“Okay, hit me with it.”

Buffy drew out a short breath as she swallowed another dry lump in her throat.

“Well um...are you.....certified with a....clean bill of....health?”

After a brief moment, Dean nodded, taking no offense to her delicate question. 

“Yeah, funny story actually. When I first got Sammy, I took him in for a checkup and the doctor needed to know all kinds of medical family history and since my parents are gone I didn’t know much so I had a full work up of tests done. Fortunately, everything was normal and I had nothing to be concerned about. So every year at his regular check ups, the doctor takes routine blood work but since Sammy hates needles, I sit down with him and get my blood taken just to show him it’s not so scary and then just for good measure, I get it tested for abnormalities or warning signs of stuff. So I’ve been racking up clean bills of health for the past six years.”

Buffy drew a contented smile. “That is so sweet what you do for Sammy.”

“And brave,” he joked. “I didn’t say I liked needles either.”

“I don’t think anyone does but still, you really are a great dad.”

“I hope to remain one too, those tests aren’t just to make sure Sammy’s not going to pick up something from my DNA but also to give me peace of mind that I’m going to be around to watch him grow up. Here’s hoping at least.”

Buffy saw the shimmer of trepidation in his eyes and gave a supportive smile.

“You know first hand what it’s like to grow up without parental figures. That’s amazing.”

Buffy smiled down at him.

“Are you feeling better now that we’ve had a ‘grown up’ talk? Did I keep you afloat?”

“Yes, you did.”

Buffy leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on his mouth. When she broke away after a long minute, she saw the gleam in his eyes brighten even more.

“That was nice,” he said. 

“Yeah, I’ve been rude to you since you came to pick me up so, that was to say, sorry.”

“Well, if that’s an apology, be as rude as you want in the future,” he said with a smile.

The echoes of footsteps padding down the stairs interrupted the blissful silence. Dean sat up and swung around to see Kennedy at the foot of the stairs. He got up and met her at the door as Sammy flew down the stairs and into the living room.

“Hi Buffy! Want to see my room now?”

Dean glanced at his watch as he paid Kennedy. Sammy snatched Buffy by the hand and tugged her out of the living room. Buffy beamed a smile as Sammy skipped down the hallway to his bedroom. He pulled her inside and started pointing at everything in his room, from his custom built car bed, to his robot collection, to his Young Readers library.

“Wow Sammy, you have the coolest room I have ever seen,” Buffy lauded with a grin. “I bet all the kids in your school are way jealous!”

After showing her several more toys, Sammy pulled out a thick book of stories and gave it to Buffy.

“Daddy, can Buffy stay and read me two stories?”

Dean leaned in the doorway as he eyed Buffy.

“It’s getting late Sammy,” he said gently. “You need to be in bed soon.”

Sammy jumped anxiously in his stance as he ran over to Dean.

“Please daddy, can I stay up a little longer? Can Buffy stay and read me some stories? Please daddy, please?”

Sammy looked up at Dean with his wide eyes. Dean let out a breath and drew a smile.

“Okay, you can stay up a half hour longer but just one story and then you have to go to bed. Now please go brush your teeth.”

Sammy grinned and nodded before he ran out of the room. Buffy gave a silly grin as Dean edged into the bedroom.

“Aw Dean, you have no backbone, you caved to a six year old.”

He drew a humbled smile as she snickered briefly.

“Yeah he knows how to work that doe eyed look.”

Buffy admired the car bed for a bit. 

“Did you make that?”

“Yeah, Xander helped me with the base but the paint and detail was all me.”

“Well, it’s impressive. Who says you’re not crafty?”

“Well, I can’t work a bottle of glue like you and don’t even ask me how to turn on the oven.”

Buffy sat down on the edge of Sammy’s bed and sifted through the pages of the book he had chosen. She looked up and noticed a picture of Sammy in a group Little League photo sitting on his desk. 

“Oh my gosh...I totally forgot.”

Buffy fished out her cell phone from her coat pocket.

“I took a picture of Sammy at the Pony Corral during the Harvest Festival. I’ve been meaning to show it to you but I keep forgetting. It’s really cute.”

Buffy scrolled through her pictures as Dean settled beside her on the bed. She paused on the photo and showed it to him. Dean lit up with a paternal smile.

“Wow, that’s a great picture. Can you email that to me?”

“Sure.” 

Sammy bolted back into the room and grinned when he saw Buffy and his daddy on his bed. He darted over and wedged himself between them.

“I’m ready,” he said.

Buffy giggled at Sammy’s enthusiasm as she swung open the book. Dean got to his feet as Sammy settled under the covers. Buffy pulled herself up against the headboard as Sammy snuggled beside her. 

“Daddy, stay.”

Dean eyed the small space on the bed. 

“That’s okay Sammy, you enjoy your story with Buffy.”

“No, stay daddy,” Sammy moaned.

Buffy cracked an amused smile. 

“Yeah daddy, STAY,” she added.

Buffy scooted over to create a little more space. Dean flashed back an amused smile as he pushed back into the room and maneuvered himself onto the bed. 

“Yay!” Sammy squealed. “Buffy you read the first page and then daddy, you read the second and I’ll read the third.”

Dean erupted into a fit of laughter before he settled back onto the headboard. He drew a deep breath in fascination as he watched Buffy animatedly reading from the book and noticed Sammy’s pure joy. After fifteen minutes, Sammy drifted off to sleep. 

 

Buffy flashed an affectionate smile as Dean pulled the covers over Sammy and snuck out of the room. When they reached the living room, Buffy collected her purse as Dean yanked his jacket on. 

“You don’t have to drop me off, I can call a cab so you don’t have to leave Sammy.”

“I’ll take you home just give me two seconds to make a quick call.”

Dean picked up the landline and punched a button on speed dial.

“Hey Fred, it’s Dean....I’m good how are you? That’s great...yeah, actually, is there anyway you or Wes can come over for about five or ten minutes while I run out? Okay, great, thanks, I’ll see you in a bit.”

After he hung up, he noticed Buffy’s curious expression.

“Emergency babysitters, my next door neighbors.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to trouble them, I seriously would have just taken a cab home.”

“Then you seriously would have paid forty bucks for a five mile cab ride.”

Buffy frowned with disbelief. 

“Forty dollars? Wow.”

There was a soft rap on the door and Dean quickly moved to open it. A young woman with long dark hair smiled at Dean as he let her in. She smiled wider at him when she noticed Buffy.

“Running out huh?” she asked. 

“Uh, yeah, Fred this is Buffy.”

Buffy flashed a friendly smiled and gave Fred a wave. 

“Nice to meet you,” she replied. 

“I won’t be too long, I’m just going drop Buffy off across town and then I’ll be back.”

“Okay,” Fred replied. “Buffy, I hope to see you again sometime.”

“Yes, me too.”

“Oh and...here’s my card.”

Fred took out a business card from her pocket.

“In case you haven’t found a good doctor yet.”

Buffy glanced at the business card. 

“Oh.....um....no, I haven’t....thanks.”

Dean led Buffy through the kitchen and out to the garage. After settling into the car, Buffy dropped the business card in her purse. 

“She’s an OBGYN, that was um.....an interesting introduction.”

Dean pulled out of the driveway and gave an apologetic smile.

“Yeah uh, I guess Fred figured if you were with me ‘after hours’ there must be something going on. I don’t think she meant to imply that you were going to need her.”

Buffy gave a gentle nod. 

“It’s okay. She meant no harm. She’s just being helpful.”

A short time later, Dean veered onto the main boulevard. Buffy smiled as she caught Dean glancing at her.

“I had a nice time tonight, despite my little.....spazz....I feel like we hit a point where I can be honest with you about...anything.”

“Yeah, I feel it too. I feel.....a lot of things.”

Dean shifted through a couple of lanes before he swung into Buffy’s neighborhood. In a few minutes, he pulled up to the curb and was about to turn the engine off when she propped a hand over his to stop him.

“You don’t have to walk me up.”

She drew a playful smile as she leaned forward.

“And we don’t....need to wait....”

She gave him a short, sweet kiss before she pulled away. After a minute to take in her statement, Dean blinked a few times before he let out a breath. He cut the engine and gazed at her in wonder.

“You know what I told you earlier wasn’t a speech to convince you,” he replied softly. 

Buffy shook her head with a confident smile. “No, I know that. I didn’t need convincing I was just....I think I was just superstitious but I’m not now because I realize that the way I feel about you is different from what I felt in the past. When I moved here, I promised myself I was going to start fresh, with new perspectives and here I am, trying to hold onto my hang ups. But I’m casting them off now and I’m not going to think about what happened then. So, what time are you going to pick me up?”

Dean blinked in awe when he saw a very distinct spark in her eyes that made his body tighten into a brick. He forced the air back into his lungs and cleared his throat. 

“Uh, well, let’s see, I’m dropping Sammy off about three-thirty on Saturday so I could swing by after and get you, but, I don’t want to make the date just about....that so I can come later and we’ll go eat somewhere.”

“Oh. Okay.....or, maybe we can go to an early movie and then eat somewhere after.”

“A movie? Yeah, that’s a good idea. I haven’t seen an adult movie in ages.”

After a brief moment, Buffy burst out laughing as Dean widened his eyes in recognition of what he had said. He drew a sheepish smile.

“Oh....oh god...I uh, I meant a movie that’s not rated G.....”

Buffy snickered a little longer as Dean shaded a deeper red.

“I didn’t mean.....”

Buffy snickered some more before she grinned.

“Yeah, I know but the look on your face when you said that was priceless.”

After she settled down, she met his eyes before inching toward him and kissing him softly for a minute. He slipped his hands around her face and kissed her back for another minute. Buffy wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss even more. After several minutes, Buffy inched away to catch her breath. She let out a giddy smile as Dean stole another heat filled kiss.

“I feel like I’m fifteen again and I snuck out of the house to make out with my high school boyfriend.”

Dean blinked in amazement. “Are you serious? You snuck out of the house? I never pictured you having a rebellious streak.”

Buffy shrugged as she widened her smile.

“Well, he was really cute so it was worth getting grounded for.”

“I can ground you if you want,” he teased. “I do have a stern side.”

“Oh well I’ll just give you my best doe eyed look and your spine will be Jell-o!” she cracked with a smile.

She giggled briefly as he admired her with great affection. When she settled down, he stroked her hair before cradling her face. He planted another, long, affectionate kiss on her mouth before he broke away and beamed a smile at her.

“God, you are so amazing,” he lauded softly. “I like everything about you.”

As his eyes sparked intensely, Buffy felt her heart quivering and her body growing numb. He gingerly drew her closer and kissed her long and deeply for a brief minute before parting.

“It’s mind boggling to me just how....in tune we are.....I mean, all that stuff you said about wanting to start fresh and not getting hung up on the past....I totally get it...every time I’m around you it’s like I’m....drifting....and it’s the most amazing feeling. I’ve never felt it before but god do I want to keep feeling it.”

Buffy graced her hand over his jaw line before she fondly caressed his cheek and smiled.

“Me too,” she admitted softly.

“I’m feeling all these things for the first time,” he confessed. “And being with you is going to be so different because it’ll mean so much more than....”

“Just a body?”

Dean drew a faint wince of regret but nodded.

“Yeah. It’ll feel like....the first time.”

Buffy giggled softly as she relished in his bright smile. She lightly probed a corner of his smile with a finger.

“Oh, so you’re like a born again,” she remarked with a teasing smile.

Dean blinked several times as she squeaked out a giggle. 

“Uh, I never thought of it that way but....I guess so....”

Her giggling abruptly stopped when she caught the flare in his eyes as he gazed intensely at her. He leaned in and kissed her fervently, bracing the back of her head with his hand. She slipped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer. He reciprocated, folding his arms around her. The deeper and longer he kissed her, the more she felt her heart climbing in pace. When she felt his hands sliding down her back and casually wandering under her shirt, she inhaled a sharp gasp as the heat of his touch tickled her. The prickling sensation blasted straight from her waist to the core of her lower body. 

Dean felt the blatant rising of his male excitement the longer he kissed her and suddenly realized his hands were traveling under her shirt, working their way up to unhook the marvelous treasures hidden behind a satiny fabric, determined to probe and explore what guys in the past had sorely neglected. As his body wrung tighter with an intense hunger, he roped in his self control and drew his hands from under her shirt before pulling off her mouth.   
Buffy inhaled several deep breaths as she noticed his eyes were glassy with desire. 

“I better stop or I won’t be able to.....”

Buffy finally caught her breath and nodded slowly.

“Yeah, you should get back to Sammy.”

Buffy shifted in her seat as she picked up her purse from the floor. 

“So am I cuter than your high school boyfriend?”

Buffy saw the sincerity in his eyes and rumbled with laughter.

“I’ll never tell,” she teased.

She cracked the door open before swinging around to give him a sweet goodbye kiss.

“I’ll talk to you later,” she said. “Have a good night.”

“Yeah, you too.”

She swung the door wider when a thought surfaced in her mind.

“Oh um, there’s one more thing I should let you know...um, for later.....”

Buffy leaned forward as her cheeks flushed deeper. She whispered into his ear very briefly. Dean blinked as she pulled away.

“Oh,” he said. “Okay.”

Buffy climbed out of the car and strolled down the walkway to her door. After she unlocked the door, she gave a wave to Dean before going inside. 

When he got home, he thanked Fred, checked on Sammy and then flipped on PBS just in time to catch Bill Nye yammering about something. After a short time, Dean blew out a breath of relief as the excruciating tension in his body began to unravel with each boring segment. 

Dean ambled into the garage to find Richie and Caleb sitting on the hood of a Mercury Sable conversing in low volume. He breezed passed them and snatched up the clipboard of work orders. After a few minutes, he snapped his eyes on the car and rapped on the fender.

“Hey, why is this still in my garage? It’s been here since Friday and all I see is an order for an air filter and new brake pads. What the hell is taking so long?”

Richie and Caleb exchanged looks before slipping off the hood.

“It’s cool man,” Richie answered. “The owner said there was no rush.”

“It doesn’t matter, you should have finished this in a couple of hours last week so quit your gossiping and do your job Richie.”

Dean swept his eyes around the cars waiting for service. He picked through the service orders and walked by three cars. 

“Toyota, Chrysler and the Acura need to be out of here in the next two hours. Come on guys, you’re killing me here. Do I have to do everything?” he groaned.

Dean heaved a sigh as Richie and Caleb wandered over to the cars.

“What’s with you?” Caleb asked. “You seem a little intense.”

“Yeah Dean, is that pretty girlfriend of yours not putting out?” Richie asked with a frown.

Dean yanked up the hood of another car and glared at Richie.

“Keep your nose in your own business and DO your JOB man. I’m not paying you to sit on your ass and be a chatty Kathy.”

Caleb and Richie exchanged another set of looks before they got to work. Dean heaved a frustrated sigh before he pulled his focus back to the car. 

 

Saturday morning, as the sun barely peeked up from the horizon, Dean rolled out of bed and dropped to the floor. As his lower body ached painfully, his mind buzzed with the upcoming evening. He ambled over to the pull up bar he installed in the doorway of the master bath and reluctantly started his regimen that had dragged through the week. 

After countless pull ups, he caught his breath before transitioning into sit ups for several repetitions. By the time the sun had completely broken through the horizon, Dean felt his heart hammering from adrenaline as he launched into a few push ups. He paused momentarily when the tension in his lower body had ceased and drew a deep breath of relief. But when his mind assailed him with steamy images he frowned as desire prickled his body once again. 

A short time later, Dean collapsed on the floor and groaned as he struggled to steady his ragged breathing. He heard the patter of light footsteps echoing in the hallway. Sammy poked his head in the doorway.

“Are you okay daddy? Should I call for help?”

Dean inhaled a few breaths before he sat up and wiped a thick sheen of sweat from his face.

“I’m fine Sammy, just exhausted.”

“I get to do science experiments today!” Sammy exclaimed.

Dean got to his feet and smiled. 

“Yeah, you do. It’s going to be a fun weekend for you.”

“You should have some fun too daddy.”

“Yeah uh....I will.”

Sammy pivoted and ran down the stairs as Dean sighed when more salacious thoughts shot through his mind. He shuffled to the pull up bar and shook his head. After another brutal set of exercises, he stripped out of his work out clothes and scrutinized his profile in the mirror for the umpteenth time. 

 

Later in the afternoon, Dean helped Sammy pack a bag before cleaning up the house. As the three o’clock hour neared, Sammy bounded into his daddy’s bedroom and found him putting on new sheets.

“Daddy, are we going soon?”

Dean glanced at the clock on the bedside table. 

“Wow, time flies, yeah, meet me downstairs Sammy. I just need to finish this up.”

Sammy nodded as he bolted out the room. Dean quickly threw the comforter back on the bed and straightened up a few things before grabbing his jacket and heading down the stairs.

When he arrived at Max’s house, he walked Sammy to the door and rang the bell. He drew a wide smile and crouched down to meet his eyes.

“Okay Sammy, have fun.”

Dean gave Sammy a big hug.

“I’ll miss you,” he said.

When the door opened, Dean continued to hold Sammy. Sammy looked up to see a young guy with a curly brown mullet style haircut, wearing faded blue jeans, a worn gray tee shirt, a denim vest and red sneakers. 

“Hey Sammy, come on in dude. Max is waiting in the lab.”

Sammy widened his eyes in delight as he pulled out of his daddy’s grip. 

“Can we make a rocket ship like Bill Nye?”

“Sure dude, anything you boys want to do is fine with me.”

Dean felt a stirring in his stomach as he straightened. He nodded at Max’s dad.

“Hey Ash,” he said.

Ash nodded back. “Hey man. Glad you’re letting Sammy stay over.”

Dean looked down at Sammy and sniffed back his trepidation.

“Call me if you need anything okay Sammy?”

Sammy nodded as he pulled his backpack on.

“Bye daddy, I love you.”

“I love you too, I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.”

Dean watched Sammy dart inside the house with sad eyes. 

“It’s okay dude, he’ll be fine,” Ash said casually.

Dean heaved a sigh as he glanced at Ash. He yanked out a folded up piece of paper and handed it to Ash.

“This is a list of foods Sammy is allergic too so please make sure he stays away from them.”

Dean retrieved a small card and also handed it to Ash.

“That’s a list of emergency contacts if something happens to Sammy and you for some reason can’t get a hold of me. But I’ll have my phone on so just call if he needs me. And please don’t do any dangerous experiments. I want my son back in one piece tomorrow.”

Ash threw a lock of his mullet behind him.

“Relax man, I’m a professional.”

“Yeah, I know just don’t let them talk you into anything you know would be dangerous.”

“No prob man. Your little man is in good hands.”

Dean stared passed Ash as Sammy settled in the living room. 

“Okay, I uh.....I got to get going.”

“Okay dude, see ya tomorrow.”

Ash swung the door shut as Dean slowly pivoted around and ambled back to his car. 

 

Dean let out a deep breath before he climbed out of the car and trekked up to the door of Buffy’s house. After a short minute, he heard footsteps and then the latches on the door. 

He drew another deep breath when Buffy stepped out in a long black skirt, matching leather boots and a green knit sweater that accentuated the color in her eyes. Her hair was curled and bounced around her shoulders as she went back inside briefly to fetch her coat. 

“Hi,” she said with a sweet smile.

She pushed off her toes and gave Dean a little kiss on the cheek. 

“You look amazing, though, you always do.”

“Thanks.”

Buffy pulled a big purse over her shoulder as they strolled to the car.

“So, how’d it go with Sammy?”

“He was pretty excited.”

“Oh, I was asking about you. It must be hard to drop him off at someone else’s house for that long.”

“Yeah, I miss him already.....you’re going to have keep me distracted.”

He cracked a smile as he held the passenger door open for her. When they were settled in the car, Dean headed out to the Cineplex. After waiting in line to buy tickets, they wandered inside the lobby. Dean passed on sweet treats at the concession stand but waited in line with Buffy as she eyed the offerings.

Dean fished out his cell phone and checked for any messages and sighed when he didn’t have a single one. After a quick minute of debating, he dialed a number.

“Yo, this is Ash.”

“Ash, it’s Dean, is everything going okay over there?”

“Yeah, yeah man, it’s cool. The boys are eating pizza and I’m getting the stuff to make a volcano.”

“Oh, that’s uh...that’s great. Could I talk to Sammy for a second?”

“Yeah, yeah man, hang on.”

After a short minute, Dean heard a rustling on the other line.

“Hi daddy.”

Dean beamed a wide smile. “Hey Sammy, are you having fun?”

“Uh huh. They have six computers and three dogs! And we’re going to make a volcano!”

“I heard and it sounds like fun. Just please be careful okay?”

“Okay daddy. What are you doing? Is Buffy with you?”

“Yeah, we’re at the movies and it’s starting soon but I just wanted to call and make sure you’re doing okay.”

“I’m fine daddy,” Sammy replied. “I gotta go finish eating.”

“Okay kiddo. I love ya.”

“Love you too. Bye daddy.”

“Bye.”

Dean heaved a sigh as he put his phone away. Buffy flashed him an endearing smile as they walked up to the counter.

“Sammy okay?”

“Yeah, sounds like he’s having fun....without me.”

Buffy snickered at his depressed expression.

“Aw Dean, it’s okay, it’s a different kind of fun, it’s....kid fun you know?”

Dean shifted his expression into a heavy mope.

“Well, I can have kid fun too.”

Buffy beamed an amused smile. “Are you jealous of a six year old?”

“No.....well, maybe a little but Sammy’s been my buddy for six years and then he meets this cool kid in school who has eighteen computers and twelve dogs and makes volcanoes out of magic powder....” he grumbled.

Buffy giggled for a long minute as Dean moped a little more. 

“I’m pathetic, huh?”

“No, it’s adorable that you’re so concerned and attached but you really should let Sammy play with kids his own age....not big kids that call themselves ‘daddy’.”

Buffy snickered again as she collected her box of treats and strolled through the lobby.

“Yeah I know, I’m glad he’s made friends, I am but it’s just made me see how I really do have no idea what to do with myself when he’s gone. So, start distracting me.”

As a crowd thickened at the entrance of the theater, Buffy snatched his hand and pulled him close. She gave him a playful little kiss before she broke away and smiled.

“How was that?”

Dean shrugged with a teasing smile. “It’s a start.”

After securing seats in the center aisle, they settled down as the screen flashed with promotional advertisements. Buffy people watched and munched on her candy. Dean swung his eyes around the movie theater before settling them back on her. When she caught his eyes and saw a playful spark, she giggled.

“Now, now, behave,” she teased. 

“I’m just trying to distract myself.”

Buffy shook her head in amusement as show time neared. When the house lights went down, she took his hand as the opening credits rolled up. A few hours later, they weaved through throngs of people to get out of the theater.

“So, how’d you like that adult movie?” she asked with a smile.

“Considering I haven’t seen a movie without Muppets or SpongeBob, that was pretty good.”

Dean fished out his cell phone and checked his messages. Buffy latched onto his arm and shook her head in jest.

“Will you stop? You’re going to drive yourself crazy. He’s having a good time making baking soda volcanoes.”

Buffy clung tighter to him as he put his phone away.

“Yeah, I know he is.”

“You weren’t like this on our previous dates, is it because he’s staying over?”

Dean let out a breath as they casually wandered down the block and browsed at the storefront windows. 

“Yeah, to be honest, I hate the idea of some other dad putting him to bed at night. I start to wonder about things like, how often is Ash going to check on him through the night, if at all, does he lock all the doors and windows when he goes to bed, does he leave a little light on by Sammy’s bed if he wakes up in the middle of the night.”

Buffy squeezed his arm and gave a sweet smile.

“It’s a natural concern but if you trusted Ash enough to let Sammy stay over, you should trust that he’ll take care of him like he would his own son.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he conceded.

Buffy cracked a playful grin. 

“Always remember that.”

Buffy widened her grin when Dean burst into laughter.

 

As the sun began to settle into the horizon, they headed over to dinner at Ellen’s Restaurant. 

Ellen blinked before she grinned with delight when Dean walked in with Buffy on his arm. 

“You must be Buffy, I’m Ellen.”

Buffy and Ellen exchanged wide, friendly smiles. 

“You eating or just stopping in?”

Dean eyed the packed restaurant. 

“Eating if you’ve got a booth.”

“Of course I do, I’ve got a cozy one in the back. Follow me.”

Ellen guided them through the main area of the restaurant to a more secluded part. There were a few tables occupied by couples as Ellen sat them down at a corner booth, lit by rose colored votives. After a server brought bread and drinks, Ellen swung by to take their orders before rushing off. 

When the food arrived, Buffy blinked at the meager sandwich on Dean’s plate with no heavy sides.

“Are you dieting?”

Dean paused in his actions before he forced out an awkward laugh.

“Do I need to?”

Buffy flushed red slightly. “No. I wasn’t being serious. I was just surprised that you aren’t eating like....a plateful of food or two....”

“Oh uh....yeah I’m just trying something....different....this week.”

“Oh.”

Buffy dove back into her bowl as Dean eyed the saucy concoction.

“How’s yours?”

Buffy swept her cloth napkin across her napkin and smiled.

“It’s fantastic, the best ratatouille I’ve ever had.”

Dean studied the bowl before he hitched an eyebrow in suspicion.

“Is that because the ‘rat’ meat makes it.....tasty?”

Buffy nearly choked on her bite as she roared with laughter at the sight of his sheer look of disgust.

“You are such a food snob. There is not one bit of ‘rat’ in it. It’s a dish made with garden vegetables like eggplant and zucchini and tomatoes, you like tomatoes.”

“Not when they’re mixed in with...plants.”

Buffy rolled her eyes in amusement. “Well, it’s delicious. I haven’t had ratatouille this good since I first tried it in France.”

“You’ve been to France?”

Buffy nodded as she wiped her mouth again. “Yeah, I spent a summer there my junior year in high school as part of a cultural exchange program. Have you ever been there?”

Dean gulped as he set down the remainder of his sandwich back on his plate. “To France? That’s uh....pretty far from Kansas.”

“Well, yeah, that’s the point of traveling. Do you not travel?”

“Not really, I’ve got a pretty full schedule with work and Sammy.”

“Oh, well you really should think about taking him somewhere with a lot of history and culture. I think he’d like it.”

“Yeah uh, maybe if uh.....it’s not too far from home.”

Ellen paused at the table carrying a tray of dirty dishes. 

“How is everything?”

“It’s delicious Ellen,” Buffy remarked. “I want the recipe for the ratatouille.”

“It’s yours hon. Save room for dessert?”

Buffy eyed Dean as he picked at his plate. 

“None for me.”

“Oh well, count me in, that Tiramisu at the counter was giving me the eye,” Buffy teased. “So, I’ll take one.”

“You got it, coffee?”

Buffy nodded with a smile.

“Yes please.”

“Dessert and coffee coming up,” Ellen replied.

She sat down next to Buffy and shoved the tray of dirty dishes toward Dean.

“Put that order in and make it two hon. And take these back with you too.”

Dean stared at Ellen in complete disbelief. 

“Uh...you want me to buss those and.....order you dessert?”

“Isn’t that what I just said son?”

“Yeah but...Ellen I’m on a......”

Ellen glanced at Buffy before she narrowed her eyes on Dean.

“Are you giving me lip?”

Ellen bore her eyes into him. Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

“No ma’am,” he answered. 

“Good. I see people waiting at the front so make sure they get seated.”

After another long stare, Ellen shot him back an even more intimidating glare. 

“What are you waiting for? I got a business to run,” she barked lightly. 

“But it’s....your business.”

Ellen deepened her frown.

“Are you back talking me?” 

Dean gulped under the weight of her intense glare.

“Uh, no ma’am.”

“It’s a family restaurant,” she clarified sharply. “And you’re family, aren’t you?”

“Yeah but...”

“Then get off your butt and help out, we’re swamped.”

“Yes....ma’am.”

Dean blew out a breath before he got up, took the tray of dishes and perched by the table briefly. He eyed Buffy who was stifling a laugh.

“Excuse me for....awhile,” he said apologetically.

Dean shook his head in disbelief before he slowly wandered off. Ellen shifted her attention to Buffy.

“Now don’t be afraid to put that boy to work hon,” Ellen remarked firmly. “Just because he finally got his act together doesn’t mean he gets to breeze through the rest of his life.”

Ellen’s expression softened as drew closer to Buffy.

“Now, tell me more about you,” she said.

 

A little while later, Dean returned to the booth to find Ellen and Buffy in the midst of an involving discussion. He dropped the plates of dessert and cups of coffee on the table and was about to settle back down when Ellen shot her eyes at him.

“Will you cash out table twenty over there? I’ve got servers covering two sections tonight. Go on.”

Ellen waved him away. Dean let out a sigh before he retreated to the main area of the restaurant. Ellen settled back into conversation with Buffy as she picked up her coffee cup.

“I know you may have heard things about my boy but don’t you believe any of it.”

Buffy glanced out into the main area of the restaurant and spotted Dean at a register. She turned her eyes back to Ellen and smiled. 

“I don’t.”

“He’s the real deal sweetie,” Ellen affirmed. “If he’s interested in you, it’s a long term thing so I hope you understand what he’s looking for because I love that boy with all my heart and I won’t tolerate any girl coming into his life just to shake it up and walk away later. So pardon me for being frank but if you’re not ready to accept what he has to offer, than you best do something now. You hear me?”

Buffy saw the deep maternal love swimming in Ellen’s eyes and nodded.

“Yes, I do,” she replied. 

She caught a glance of Dean as he helped out the bar for a time. 

“Dean is the most amazing guy I have ever met. I completely understand and know what he has to offer, I do Ellen, I really do.”

Ellen noticed the glassiness in Buffy’s eyes and drew a wide, maternal smile.

“It looks like you’re becoming quite taken with him.”

“Oh I think I’m pretty much ‘took’.” 

Ellen dropped a hand on Buffy’s and squeezed it.

“Well hon, I can’t think of a better woman for my boy. So if he does one thing to piss you off, you call me and I’ll whip him back into shape, okay?”

Buffy let out a hearty laugh as Ellen joined in. 

 

By the time Dean returned from being bossed around, the restaurant has cleared out from the dinner rush. He wandered back over to Buffy and was amazed to find she was still in deep conversation with Ellen. As he waited for the moment to interrupt, Ellen broke her attention from Buffy and regarded him.

“Alright, I’ll let you get back to your date,” she said.

“Gee thanks,” he muttered under his breath. 

“It was so great talking with you Ellen,” Buffy remarked. 

“You too hon.”

Buffy finished off her coffee as Dean slipped back into the booth. 

“Well, seems like Ellen is still a.....”

“Hard ass? Yeah, she never lets me forget it.”

Buffy giggled momentarily until Dean exuded a soft frown.

“Sometimes she treats me like I’m still that sixteen year old punk.”

Buffy shrugged and smiled. “Tough love straightened you out, maybe she wants to make sure you stay that way.”

“Well you two sure had a lot to talk about. I’ve known Ellen most of my life and I’ve never sat and talked to her for that long.”

“Yeah, she’s great.”

Buffy eyed the dwindling crowd. 

“Did you want to go?”

“We can hang out some more if you want, although Ellen will probably make me scrub the linens or something.”

Buffy snickered some more as she brushed a stray hair from his face.

“No, we can go.”

“Okay.”

As they gazed at each other for a long moment, Dean inched toward her mouth until she politely covered her own with her hand.  
She shaded a light pink.

“Um, there was garlic in my dinner so, um, I’m going to go brush my teeth. I’ll be right back.”

Dean slipped out of the booth as Buffy scooted to her feet and shuffled out of the dining area. He hung out by the hostess stand when Ellen noticed him and paused.

“She’s a good one Dean,” Ellen replied. “If you know what’s best for you, you’ll go out tomorrow and buy that girl a ring.”

Ellen wandered away before Dean could pull himself out of his daze. When Buffy returned and passed by Ellen, the two ladies smiled and waved goodbye. Dean held the door open as Buffy pulled her coat on. When they were in the car, Dean drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

“Well, that was an interesting night. So uh, what now? You want to stop somewhere else or head on home?”

Buffy felt her body tingling with anticipation as she drew a bashful smile.

“Um home.”

After warming up the car for a bit, Dean pulled out of the parking lot and veered back in the direction of his neighborhood.

“You seemed to handle yourself pretty well on the restaurant floor,” Buffy commented.

“Oh, thanks, Ellen gave me a job when Sammy was just a few months old so I could pay for his food and clothes and stuff. I guess it comes back to you after awhile but it still kicked my butt. Anyway, leave it to Ellen to blatantly embarrass me in front of you.”

Buffy giggled as they pulled through the neighborhood.

“Well, I like her,” she said.

“Yeah, she really likes you.”

Dean eased the Impala into the garage and held the adjacent door open for Buffy. She shuffled in as Dean snapped the kitchen lights on. 

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said as he peeled out of his jacket.

Buffy set her coat and purse on the kitchen table and noticed a pair of wine bottles on the island counter. 

“Are those for me? Are you trying to get me drunk?” she asked teasingly.

Dean chuckled briefly as she edged toward the counter. 

“Oh, no sneakiness at all, I swear. I thought I’d pick up some non-kid friendly beverages since I really don’t have anything.”

“Oh, well, I’d love a glass of the red so, thanks for thinking ahead.”

Dean rummaged through a drawer and snatched up a bottle opener. After cracking the bottle of red open, he poured a portion in a plastic cup. 

“Sorry for the silly presentation but I don’t have any wine glasses.”

“Oh no worries. Are you having something? I’m not much for drinking alone.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah.”

He swung around and fetched a beer bottle from the fridge. Buffy noticed the label and eyed him curiously.

“Drinking light beer again? Seriously, are you dieting?”

Dean took a long sip before he drew an amused smile. “Uh no, I’m just trying something different....this week. Anyway.....you want to see the rest of the house?”

“Sure, show away.”

Buffy followed Dean to various rooms on the lower level before leading her out to the new deck outside. 

“Wow, you did a great job,” she said. “On the deck, the lawn furniture could use a little work though....in my honest opinion.”

Dean let out a chuckle as he admired Buffy in the beam of the moonlight falling over her. 

“Yeah, that’s on my ever growing list of home improvements. Maybe you can help me spiff it up.”

Buffy circled around the deck before edging over to Dean. She leaned on the post beside him and beamed a smile.

“I’d love to,” she said.

“Great, you can go to town on the yard but, I have veto power and absolutely no pink – flamingos, flowers, fountains, etc.”

Buffy mocked a look of offense. 

“Hey, real men aren’t afraid of pink.”

After they shared a laugh, they drifted closer and exchanged a tender kiss for a long minute. When Dean took her in his arms, he felt the subtle shivers rumbling through her body. He drew a smile as he swept a hand through the curls in her hair.

“Freezing?”

“Yeah, I’m still not getting used to the cold out here.”

“Well, you just have to find ways to keep warm,” he said with a smile.

He latched onto her hand and gently pulled her back into the house. After locking the door, he weaved through the kitchen and into the living room. Buffy finished her wine glass and set it on the coffee table as she settled onto the couch. 

“God it’s so quiet in here,” Dean noted as he sat down next to her.

Buffy took both of his hands in hers and smiled up at him.

“I had a really nice night.”

“It’s not over yet, at least I hope not. Did your high school boyfriend pop into town and sweep you away?”

Dean cracked a smile as he chuckled briefly.

“If he did, would you fight for me?”

“Well, I’m not really a fighter, I could try and arm wrestle him....is he a big guy?”

Buffy giggled softly as she edged closer to him. She swung her arms around him and gave him a little kiss. 

“No worries about Nelson,” she said.

Dean burst into laughter for a short minute. 

“Nelson?”

“Hey, he was a cutie.”

Buffy snuggled even closer. 

“But, you’re way, way cuter than he ever was.”

“I thought you weren’t going to tell.”

She cocked her head and drew a playful smile.

“I just wanted to see your reaction.”

“Oh, guess you’re the tease now, huh?”

After exchanging smiles, they caught mouths in a passion heavy kiss for a very long minute. Buffy let out a breath as Dean secured his arms around her. As his hands drifted down her back, he felt his blood boiling at rapid speed and his body wringing tight with arousal. He pulled himself back for a minute feeling the prickling heat threatening to overtake his self-control. Buffy settled a hand behind his neck and drew him back to her mouth. 

When she leaned her curves against him, he fiercely stamped back the compulsion to tear away every bit of clothing she had on. He let his mouth travel down her neck, nibbling little pieces of flesh between his teeth. 

Buffy let out a very soft moan of contentment as Dean began to work his mouth down her neck. After several minutes of absorbing the pleasurable sensation, a memory unexpectedly haunted her mind as her eyes fluttered open. She gently pulled away from him and caught his eyes, gleaming bright with desire. He drew a look of concern at the faint apprehension hanging on her face.

“Are you okay?”

“Um are you a...a biter?” she asked softly.

Dean blinked briefly with bewilderment. 

“No......are you?” he asked as a smile slowly cracked over his face.

“No,” she answered. “Sorry....where were we?”

She slipped her hand behind his neck and brought him back to her mouth. After another minute of mad, passionate kissing, Dean let his mouth voyage along her neckline. He paused to inhale the sweet aroma of her perfume and let out a breath.

“God, what is that scent you’re wearing? For some reason it makes me crave....apple pie.....”

“It’s um...cinnamon spice.”

“Oh. Is that why you asked me if I’m a biter? Were you afraid I’d like...devour you because honestly, I’m kind of tempted.”

Buffy shaded red for a moment and gulped. Dean saw the fear in her eyes and quickly shifted out of his amused smile.

“Oh, I’m kidding, I am.”

He slipped his hands around her face and looked deeply into those mesmerizing eyes.

“I won’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable so don’t be afraid to talk to me, okay?”

The dread quickly left her eyes as she drew an appreciative smile.

“Okay.”

He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks and smiled.

“Do you trust me?” he asked softly.

Buffy nodded as she caught a breath at the dazzling spark in his eyes.

“I do............Where were we?”

Dean leaned closer to within an inch of her mouth and grinned.

“Right about here.”

As they fell into a long and lusty kiss, Buffy felt her feet melting into the floor with the rest of her rapidly caving along with it. She slipped her hands around his, still cradling her face and brought them around her waist. She released his hands and after a long pause, began to feel his fingers slowly dancing under the hem of her sweater. She let out a soundless gasp when she felt the heat of his touch tapping along the small of her back. 

Dean stamped down the deep groan rumbling around the base of his throat once his hands made contact with the smooth skin of her back. He inched briefly away from her mouth to inhale a long breath, hoping to stave off the extreme excitement slamming through his system. After a second long breath, he clamped his mouth back on hers and let his hands roam upward. 

Buffy quivered then swam in the sensation of feeling his hands exploring her. She dropped her hands down the front of his shirt and echoed his actions, letting her fingers lightly probe the outside.   
Dean jerked slightly when Buffy let her fingers do the walking over the front of his chest. He sucked in a deep breath as the subtle action sent his male excitement into super high gear again. When he forced the air out, he swiftly scooped her up in his arms and gently yanked her off her feet. 

Buffy latched her legs around his waist as he plucked her off the couch and began to drift through the living room to the stairs. She felt her heart thundering behind her rib cage as she gasped for breath between each long and heat loaded kiss. Her mind was so high into the clouds she hadn’t even noticed the change of environment until Dean gingerly set her back down on her feet in the master bedroom. He clutched her tightly as they continued to exchange hot, wet kisses in the room lit by just a soft bedside lamp. 

Dean guided her a few steps back to the edge of the bed, his mouth still locked with hers. He gently settled her onto the comforter, resting her head against the stack of pillows propped along the headboard before bringing his own weight down beside her. He shifted onto his side as he drove his tongue deeper inside her mouth. He clamped a hand on her bare knee for a second before he let it travel under skirt. He caressed the outside of her thigh, sweeping his hand in long, slow strokes, absorbing the soft feel of her skin. 

Buffy let out a soft pant, completely amazed by how just the subtle touch of his hand against her thigh made her insides boil with longing. As his hand traveled over the top of her thigh, she felt tiny tendrils of electricity stabbing the delicate tissue between her legs. Her mind stung with anticipation, winding her body tight with arousal. Her eyes drifted shut as she drank in the feel of his hand stroking her leg. 

OH MY GOD. 

After a minute of basking in the almost foreign sensation of rapture brought on by a man’s touch, her eyes fluttered open in pained acknowledgment when he felt her tackling the task of removing her boots. She eyed Dean as he gently tugged the zipper down on her right boot, taking pause to admire her shapely tan leg. 

Buffy blinked with caution when another memory rippled through her mind as Dean pulled off her boot and glanced at it for a second.

“Um, you’re not um....wanting to try those out are you?”

Dean shifted his eyes away from the leather boot and noticed there was not even mild amusement on her face, just an awkward, questioning look. He hitched an eyebrow in wide curiosity as odd amusement flooded his eyes.

“Uh....they’re not really my style,” he cracked. “Or my size either but uh....thanks for offering.”

He tossed the boot on the floor and started to unzip the left one, pulling it off swiftly. Buffy let out a breath as Dean didn’t give a second glance to her shoes, choosing to take in her inquisitive expression.

“You still okay?”

She let her momentary anxiety fade away and brightened with another blissful smile as he toed off his own shoes. He kicked his shoes off the bed and returned his attention to her, settling back on his side and draping an arm across her waist. He took her mouth in an intense kiss, quickly blasting away any doubts or apprehensions lingering in her mind. 

She heaved a long breath when she felt his hand sliding under sweater and settling over her stomach. Her eyes fluttered shut as he deepened his kiss, lacing his tongue with hers for a time. She let out a short gasp when his hand snaked up her stomach and gently rolled over her bra. She had never cared nor liked the feel of a man’s hand cupping or fondling her breasts, mainly because they had always handled them roughly, tugging or yanking on them like they were pigtails or cow udders and she had simply hated having them taken in the mouth for the same gruff treatment. 

As her mind rippled on the past, she felt body tense up slightly and her brows furrowing with apprehension. She forced the sliver of dread away and shifted her focus on the present. The more Dean kissed her with an undeniable hunger, the more she realized how much she wanted him to quash her superstitions about the act of sex. 

Every time she looked in his eyes, she saw the deep glow of his affection for her. He had willingly opened up to her about his past, no question unanswered, no dodging or deflecting, no frowning with offense. She had never felt so connected to a guy before in her entire life and knowing that revelation had only heightened her attraction to him over the weeks. When she realized his hand hadn’t commenced a thorough exploration of her breast, choosing to simply rest on the fleshy mound, she felt the weight of his respect in her candid confession about her level of enjoyment in intimate acts. Her attraction and longing thickened even more.

Dean heaved a deep breath when he briefly inched from her mouth. The thrilling sensation of his hand curved over the fabric of her breast stirred up the cauldron of male excitement already churning rapidly within his body. He removed his hand from under her shirt to combat the urges threatening to overtake his restraint. Though his body was burning with desire, begging him to just take what he had denied himself for so long, he fought back the ache. 

His eyes flitted open to gauge her expression. She had a dreamy smile as she looked up at him. He returned her smile as he brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. For a long minute, he simply caressed parts of her face, painting a mental picture in his mind he would treasure. 

“God you are beautiful,” he said softly as he leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

Buffy was startled when her body desperately craved his touch. She found her hand snatching his up and moving it under her sweater again. 

Dean blinked in surprise when he inched from her mouth and felt her hand pulling his under her sweater. He cracked an amused smile as he appeased her, gripping the hem of the sweater and swiftly tugging it up. She lifted her arms up as he peeled it over her head and tossed it aside. 

His smile quickly transitioned into a gleeful grin when he saw the light pink semi sheer satin bra.

“Wow, pink is now my new favorite color,” he quipped. 

As he settled a hand on her abdomen, he met her eyes.

“So, I’m guessing that was a yay on uh....stealing second base?”

He chuckled briefly as she shaded pink but nodded.

“Well then, yay me,” he said. 

He chuckled again as she slipped a hand around his neck and drew him down to her mouth. Buffy let out a short breath in between mad make outs as her body assailed her with demands. She felt her hands drifting to the hem of his tee shirt and her fingers sliding underneath, jolting with excitement.

Dean braced himself for the big reveal as he sucked in a huge breath when Buffy began to peel his shirt up. 

Starving myself all week better be worth it.

Buffy blinked when she yanked off the shirt and tossed it aside. After she rolled her eyes over him, her cheeks shot beet red with heat when she saw the toned muscles chiseled in his torso like a statue carved intricately out of stone.

Holy cow, she thought.

Buffy caught a gasp in her throat as Dean swept an arm over her and pulled her close to him. He affectionately stroked her face as he planted another tender and heat filled kiss that seemed to last a life time. 

Buffy let her hands wander, probing the plateaus of muscle scattered along his stomach with her fingers. She felt his body jerk as she delicately traced each defined line. She drew another gasp as a burst of electricity soared through her veins when Dean lightly snaked his hand over her stomach. When she jerked, Dean dipped his mouth down above her belly button and gingerly pressed a kiss on the taut fold of skin. 

Buffy let out a very soft squeak as her body quivered with pleasure. When Dean rolled his tongue around her belly button, a deep gasp rumbled out of her mouth. After a few more long strokes, her body began to gently writhe and quiver as heat blasted through the lower half of her body. The liquid heat of his tongue snaked along her side as he peeled down the straps of her bra. He moved to her shoulder, attacking the flesh with small laps before sliding across her collarbone. 

Her mouth dropped open and released a soft moan as the pure titillation of his strokes thickened the arousal swarming in her lower body. She heaved several short staggered breaths as Dean drifted back up to her mouth and swirled his tongue around the inside. She laced her tongue with his and shivered vigorously as his passion slowly burned through her.

When he broke away, he met her eyes as she affectionately caressed his cheek. He gave her a short but super sweet kiss as he unhooked her bra and removed it aside. He blew out a long breath, trying to contain the excitement assaulting his lower half. He swallowed the sting of tightness wrenching every muscle in his body as he savored the sight of her. His male instinct wanted to bury his mouth over the peak of her breast and flick the taut nipple until her eyeballs crawled up into her brain and set up shop for months. But with his body tightening furiously with an almost insatiable hunger, he couldn’t risk adding more fuel to the fire. 

He brought his hand back up to her waist and swiftly pulled her skirt down her legs and off her body. As his eyes wandered over her, he noticed the matching sheer pink panty and clenched back the aching desire to rip it away and alleviate the extreme tension blistering in his lower half. He forced out a deep breath as he absorbed the amazing sight of her, from the gleam in her hazel eyes, to the warmth of her blissful smile, to the fantastic sensation of her silky skin brushing against his body.

He latched onto her mouth again and kissed her for what seemed like an endless minute. She curled her arms around him and gently coaxed him to climb over her. Feeling his raw male excitement climbing at breakneck speed, he pulled away slightly to release a deep breath. After a minute, he pushed back the comforter and settled Buffy beneath the warmth of the sheets before he angled his upper body over her but kept his lower half away for the moment. He fluffed up the stack of pillows beneath her head. He raked a hand through her hair and absorbed the velvety texture of her locks.

“Are you comfortable?” he asked softly.

Buffy smiled joyfully at him.

“Very much so,” she murmured.

He cradled her face and smiled back at her.

“Okay, remember, talk to me,” he encouraged. “Tell me if you love it, hate it - just let me know your frame of mind, okay?”

After a brief moment, she gulped when yet another memory haunted her. 

“Um.....do you um....swear like a....sailor when you’re um.....in the moment?”

He blinked several times in odd curiosity before he answered.

“No.......do...you?” he asked.

“No,” she replied very softly as her cheeks shaded red.

“Oh, well, that’d be both oddly hilarious and awkward if you did.”

After he rumbled with laughter, they exchanged soft, gentle kisses for several minutes. After another long minute, Dean snapped his eyes open in surprise when he felt the motion of Buffy tugging on the waistband of his jeans.

“Woah...well, that is talking in a way,” he cracked as he let out a little chuckle. 

Buffy drew a bashful smile as Dean rolled onto his side and pulled off his jeans beneath the covers. He kicked them off the bed before gently rolling back over Buffy. He slid one arm under her back and clutched her against him as he yanked off her panties. He swept away a few loose tendrils from her face before he dipped his mouth over hers and kissed her passionately for another minute. 

When he parted from her, he gazed in her eyes and brushed a finger over her cheekbone as his other hand drifted between their bodies and gently guided himself inside her. She flinched and gasped softly when his rigid muscle slowly eased through the walls of her canal. Her belly quaked as she felt his intense heat radiating within the depths of her body. 

Her eyes drifted shut for a long moment as he propped himself up on his arms and gently squeezed himself into the hilt. After a brief second, he heaved a very slow thrust, inciting a huge wave of excitement and pleasure to vibrate through every vessel in her body. She squeaked out an almost inaudible gasp as the seeds of euphoria began to sprout in her mind.

Dean gasped desperately for air as his primal urges practically strangled his self-control after he settled himself within her. Being inside a woman again after so long, feeling the slick, hot spring of her sheath blanketing him, the soft, supple flesh of her breasts brushing against his chest, seeing her eyes fraught with desire, hearing the thrilling sound of her moans wafting through the air, skyrocketed his senses into overload. 

For years, he had deprived himself of the simplest, purest male desire that the slightest contact with a girl after such a span of time incited a fierce attack on his defenses. He was utterly astonished by how quickly he wanted to release his ecstasy, since in the past; he had always been able to draw out the sex for at least an hour. Recognizing the extreme tightness in his loins, he drew out a deep breath, hoping to force back the ecstasy swarming through every inch of his body. 

As his lower body chanted, “go, go, go,” his mind roared, “stay the course man, stay the course!” For a very long minute, he fought back and forth with what his body commanded from him and what his mind desired. He blew out another long breath as he burst forward, prompting another high pitched gasp to erupt from her mouth. His ears perked with excitement as she gripped his stony biceps and dug her nails into the skin. His lower body responded by thrusting sharply within her, causing yet another moan to rumble from her throat. 

Feeling his restraint waning fast, Dean clamped down on his jaw and heaved a sharp breath through his teeth when his body craved to hear more of her pleasurable gasps. After a minute of fighting himself again, he felt the distinct motion of his arms angling slightly to propel his body forward in an even heavier thrust. When she cried out softly yet again, he felt the rise of his excitement dangling precariously behind the thinning wall of his constraint, quickly winding back for the pitch. 

Dean grimaced harshly as he stamped down a deep roar in his throat when his body was rapidly wresting control, driving into her twice, then three more times with increasing force and speed.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!

He inhaled a very long, soundless breath as he struggled to contain the rapture rumbling violently in his lower body. 

Aw crap, crap, crap. 

He froze perfectly still as the canon threatened to fire. He felt several veins in his head imploding as he snapped down on his jaw and very carefully drew in a breath fearing the slightest tick or motion would cause the remainder of his control to collapse.

Come on man, just give a little and you’ll get a lot.

He drew in another long breath as his mind conceded. After one more heavy drive, he let the smallest stream of ecstasy ripple through as a very low, guttural groan rumbled in the base of his throat. He winced deeply as just the tiniest amount had slammed into him like a speeding Mack truck. He slipped himself back a little, easing the constriction within her for a minute.

Buffy blinked in surprise and then recognition when she felt his taut muscle jerk and release a very small, yet significant spurt. Her eyes drifted from the back of her head and noted the sheer distress in his expression as he struggled to breathe. Thick rivulets of sweat rolled down his face and chest as he heaved several gasps. 

“Um, it’s okay,” she said sympathetically. “It really is.”

He snapped his eyes open to see her awkward expression.

“What? Oh, no, no, no,” he protested. “That’s not what you think it was, well, it was but it wasn’t.”

Her brows furrowed with mild bewilderment. He blew out another breath and drew a small smile of amusement.

“It’s a.....strategy,” he explained. “One of which you will reap the benefits, trust me.”

As he took in several more long breaths, he gently eased back to the hilt. Buffy gasped and then blinked in surprise again when she realized that instead of the natural, gradual pendulousness that followed a man’s release, he was as solid as a rock. 

When his ragged breaths settled, he brought his weight down over her, slipping an arm under her back. He swiftly rolled onto his back and settled her on top of him.

“Woah,” she gasped softly in surprise.

He chuckled very softly at her look of wonder before he marveled in the feel of her hair falling around his face. He gently pulled her legs down on either side of him before resting his hands on her hips. After a long and passionate kiss, he slowly drew her forward, pulling her up and down along his turgid flesh. 

Buffy let out a soft moan when his strong hands looped over her hips and gently pulled her forward in several, slow motions, building and increasing the intense, indescribable rapture that attacked every synapse in her brain as his steely, burning muscle rasped against the walls of her sheath, heightening the excitement flowing through her veins. She released a moan through her teeth when he kissed her passionately, lapping his tongue along the walls of her mouth, mimicking the movements of his body strokes.

OH MY GOD. 

Her senses were dulling and her body rapidly melting into a puddle of blissful mush. 

I AM GOO, she thought. 

When Dean broke from her mouth, her eyes flitted open in curiosity. He shined a deeply affectionate smile upon her as he brushed a finger across her mouth.

“Hey pretty girl, you still with me?”

Buffy gave a short nod as he securely clutched her, rolled her onto her back again and repositioned himself over her. He brought his mouth down on hers and gave her a tender kiss for a long moment. After breaking away, he pushed himself up on his hands and then slowly began to rock within her. She heaved a gasp as her body swam back in that wonderful ecstasy with each long and slow stroke that pulsated through her. Her hands slid down his back and her fingers prodded the deep ridges of flesh. His skin was glistening with moisture and heat as he bent down to kiss her even longer than before.

Dean heaved a breath in awe as her eyes danced brightly in the soft light. He watched her body quiver and hitch forward with each long and slow stroke he made. Now that he had let out some of the frenzied excitement that had been brewing furiously over the past week, he had quite a bit of time to focus on accomplishing what his heart ultimately desired before his ecstasy drew back to the gates. He was used to pleasing women who knew every aspect of their own body’s desires, he was used to aggressive women who equally took what they wanted from him, he was used to women with a history of positive experience, but none of those women mattered, none of those experiences compared to the present one. 

No, Buffy Anne Summers was the one and only experience he ever wanted to remember. She was the most amazing girl he had ever met in his entire life. He truly adored everything about her, from her caring nature, to her genuine affection for Sammy, to her positive attitude; she was a girl who deserved to experience all the wonders life had to offer. And though he hated thinking about the other guys that had shared their bed with her, in a crazy way, he owed them a debt of gratitude. If they hadn’t scorned her mind with such a horrible notion about the pleasures of sex, he wouldn’t be where he was right now. 

It really wasn’t even sex, which completely surprised him, no, it was so much more. In his troubled youth, sex had been about satiating a need or filling a void, he had taken what he wanted from some random, willing girl and moved on without a second glance. He had heard the term ‘making love’ from Bobby, when he unsuccessfully tried to convince him to stop bedding a revolving door of girls in an effort to wait for someone special. He had brushed the term off dismissively, believing guys only ‘made love’ to chicks in cheesy romance movies or fluffy love stories. He never had the desire to ‘make love’ to a girl when he could do so much more to them and not have to worry about the aftermath. But now, that had all changed. 

Raising Sammy and realizing what was important and what was trivial had profoundly shifted his perspective. Most of his male coworkers and friends were dumbfounded to learn, when he chose to disclose the information, that he had spent six years living like a monk. As difficult as it was, Bobby’s words all those years ago echoed through his mind whenever he felt even the slightest remote of temptation to alleviate his natural desires. He didn’t want some random girl to satisfy his needs, he didn’t want to mess around and toy with emotions just to get what he wanted. No, he wanted someone special for both him and his son. Someone pure of heart, someone he truly and undeniably cared about and who reciprocated the same feelings. 

Buffy was a football stadium different from the girls in his past, hell, she was a gazillion stadiums different, she was a galaxy apart. She had been the first girl to appeal to his emotional side, the side that felt comfort in just her encouraging smile, the side that felt ease whenever she was around, the side that felt highly elated when she called every day the past week just to wish him well at work. She had touched him emotionally in so many ways and the connection he felt with her, as her body blended with his was elevated by all that he knew about her and he was determined to draw out every fiber of pleasure contained within her but had remained untapped until now. He wanted to unlock that well and carry her up that mountain of ecstasy. 

Dean drifted momentarily out of his thoughts when Buffy affectionately stroked his face before letting her hands roam and probe his arms. He caught her eyes as they gleamed brilliantly. He increased his rhythm, heaving a heavier thrust and watched her back arching forward. He noticed the loose tendrils floating around her face growing damp with perspiration. He held himself steady on one arm while he used the other hand to sweep the hair from her eyes. She smiled wistfully up at him as he brought his mouth down on hers. 

After a long kiss, he brought his weight down on her and began attacking the nape of her neck with his kisses. He felt her fingers lacing through the hair on the back of his head as he worked his mouth down her shoulder and across her collarbone, stroking the flesh with his tongue. She quivered and writhed with each flick as he drifted down her body. 

Buffy grasped the back of his head, stinging with an ache she had never felt before. She felt his mouth dancing along her collarbone, playfully torturing her with electrifying strokes of his tongue. She was astounded by the desire bleeding thick in her mind as Dean traveled closer to her breasts; she had never wanted a guy to devour them until now. 

OH GOD, PLEASE, she thought.

Dean felt the subtle jolts within her as his mouth drifted down her body. The muscles in her lower body were tightening and clenching as her legs subtly shifted under him. Testing the waters, he very gingerly rolled his tongue over the base of her breast, pausing briefly to tease the taut nipple with a slow, circular motion.

Buffy heaved a loud breath as she grasped the back of his head tighter. She pitched her head back into the pillows and panted raggedly as Dean engulfed the nipple with his mouth again and gently stroked it with it his tongue for a long second.

OH – MY – GOD!

She didn’t think it was possible but she was beyond goo, beyond mush, beyond whatever it was that was beyond that. Her mind was completely dulled by the delightful agony blazing through every part of her. As her upper body basked in the intense euphoria, her lower half swam furiously with the insurmountable joy. 

“More,” she blurted out softly.

Dean paused briefly in his actions as her eyes rolled open to look up at his.

“More of what?”

Buffy gulped as her cheeks burned. 

“Um more of....everything,” she panted.

He cracked an amused smile as he brought his weight down on her as he went back to tongue dancing with her nipple for awhile. He slowly increased his thrusts as he devoured her breast a little more. She let out a longer cry as he propped himself back on his hands. She latched her hands onto his forearms and panted raggedly as she felt the euphoria pooling and climbing with each slow thrust. As the intensity built with each stroke, she pitched her head back as a low cry heaved from her mouth, and then stitched with a longer, deeper moan. 

Dean felt his ecstasy gathering at the gates as he gradually quickened his rhythm and pace, taking note of the increasing volume and length of her moans. She was close but not quite there yet, so he made long, calculated strokes, carefully squeezing himself to the hilt and drawing back a bit, the slickness of her sheath thickening around him. His ears perked when her moans grew louder and longer dangling toward the top of that glorious peak. By the rapid rise and fall of her chest, the blazing heat of her skin, the tightening in her loins that grasped his flesh, she was almost there. He buckled down on the latch of his own spiraling ecstasy and rocked her toward the finish line. 

Buffy heaved a huge breath, desperate to take in air. Her heart was beating so fast she could barely breathe. She thought she was going to faint from the bombardment of pleasant agony rising through her body. Her throat felt sore but she couldn’t contain the moans that erupted through her mouth. Dean lowered himself down on her and held her tightly against him as her mind was in a complete daze. Her body blistered with pleasure, her mind stung with numbness and floated high into the air as her cries echoed in the room. She panted and panted and panted until she squeaked out a very long cry, her body and mind simply floated above Earth.

Dean heaved a breath and opened the gates when he heard the distinct song of arrival releasing from her mouth. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard as his own body soon convulsed.   
Buffy blinked briefly and looked up to see an agonizing expression on his face as a low, guttural groan rumbled through his mouth. After a few more ragged breaths, the agony from his face flooded with a blissful expression as he buried his head in the crook of her neck and held her tightly for a long moment. 

A short time later, still wrapped in his arms, Buffy was in complete awe and amazement as he hitched his head up and kissed her tenderly. He stroked her face and raked the damp tendrils away. He smiled when she was glowing as bright as a beacon in the night. 

“How you doing?” he asked.

Her eyes grew heavy with exhaustion as she brightened her grin.

“Mmm, I’ll let you know when I get back to Earth. I’m still hovering.”

She cleared her throat a couple of times before wincing. Dean shrouded deep concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m um...parched,” she admitted softly.

“Well, screamed your head off did you?” he asked before he chuckled.

Buffy felt her cheeks inflaming with heat, partially from her admission but mainly from the shocking recognition that he was still solid within her.

“You want a glass of water?”

She nodded as he gently pulled out and sat up for a second. He raked a hand through his damp hair before he swung his feet to the floor and twisted around to regard her.

“Ice?” he asked.

“Yes please,” she replied in a raspy tone.

She heaved a gasp when he got out of bed still naked and....interested. Her cheeks flushed even hotter as her eyes drifted over the lean tones in his body. Despite some sexual experiences, she had never fully seen a guy so gloriously naked before. As her eyes marveled over the planks of muscle in his torso, she drifted into her memories over her summer trip in high school where she had made an excursion to Italy and saw her first naked man. Okay, so it was a naked statue of David but still, she had been barely sixteen and exposed to the chiseled stone hunk flashing his glorious manhood.

Buffy cleared her throat and blinked rapidly when she almost thought she was back in Italy again, ogling that chiseled stone hunk flashing his....

“Are you okay?” 

Buffy widened her eyes a little and forced the overtly lusty thought from her brain. She averted her eyes away and hoped her jaw wasn’t gathering dust on the floor.

“Um, it’s not polite to....um....point,” she said bashfully.

Her cheeks burned even hotter if that was possible. Dean let out a chuckle before snatching up his jeans off the floor.

“Uh...yeah....pardon me.”

She heard him shifting in his stance and then the sound of a zipper before she turned her eyes back on him. 

“I’ll be back in a bit,” he said.

She flashed a contented smile as he ambled out of the bedroom. 

 

After pouring a glass of water and stacking it with ice cubes, Dean eyed a leftover sandwich from a few nights ago. His belly stung with a different kind of hunger as his eyes drifted over an assortment of food. He fished out the sandwich and stuffed it in his mouth. His eyes widened as he moaned with pleasure.

“God, I am SO hungry!” he cried out.

He dove back into the fridge and fetched out a bunch of containers, piling everything on a plate before raiding the cabinets.

 

Buffy turned on her side and winced a little when she felt completely numb in her lower body. Her eyes drifted to the doorway of the bedroom as the minutes ticked away. She thought she heard the faint sounds of moaning. Her brows furrowed with curiosity when she heard a clanging downstairs. She pulled the covers over her when after a long minute, she heard footsteps down the hall. 

She eyed Dean who looked even more joyful than when he left her. He bounded over to the bed and handed her the glass of ice water. She took small sips and relished in the cooling sensation blanketing her dry throat as Dean settled back under the covers. She set the glass down on the bedside table on her side and caught his eyes and wide grin.

“Better?”

She nodded as her eyes drifted to the corner of his mouth. She drew a finger and picked at the strange clump. She examined it before she sniffed it.

“Is this peanut butter and.....potato chips? Were you....binge eating Mr. I’m Not Dieting?” she asked with a playful smile.

Dean drew a sheepish expression as he shifted under the covers.

“Uh, I wasn’t binge eating, I was just.....hungry.....”

Buffy settled her gaze on him a little longer. 

“Okay, okay, so I....ate everything in sight,” he confessed with a sigh. 

She snickered as his face bled with guilty admission.

“But in my defense, I worked really hard on very little and I was feeling....weak....”

“So you have been dieting?”

After a long minute, he heaved another sigh.

“Uh, I’m not really dieting, just....watching what I eat because when I thought about it, I realized that you....watch me eat and I’m sure it’s a LOT and this whole week, thinking about tonight I got concerned that maybe it would....show. I mean, it’s been quite a long time since a girl has seen me....in my birthday suit so, I guess I’ve been going a little crazy.”

Buffy drew a sympathetic smile as she cupped his jaw.

“Aw Dean, who would have ever thought that the former.... Furniture Royalty...would have developed a complex about his body? It’s SO cute!”

She giggled for a long minute as he looked mortified. 

“But seriously, you have nothing to be concerned about, I mean, you’re a young guy that has to keep up with his six year old son and run a business, you need to eat considerably more to maintain enough energy to get you through the day, so, don’t stop eating on my account because honestly, and you know I don’t lie.....it doesn’t show at all.”

She leaned forward and kissed him. When she broke away, she smiled.

“You taste like barbecue chicken and.....macaroni and cheese. You really did eat everything in sight,” she teased.

Dean drew her back for another kiss as his desire flared up. 

“Well, like you said, I need enough energy to get me through this night,” he said with a sly smile.

Buffy heaved a soundless gasp as they locked eyes, then mouths in a hungry laden kiss. Even though she was completely numb and raw, her body seemed to crave more. She slumped down on the mattress as Dean toppled over her, quickly slipping out of his jeans and tossing them aside. After a long minute of fervent kissing, he eased very slowly back inside her as she winced but gasped in intense pleasure. 

“Aw Dean, who would have ever thought that the former.... Furniture Royalty...would have developed a complex about his body? It’s SO cute!”

She giggled for a long minute as he looked mortified. 

“But seriously, you have nothing to be concerned about, I mean, you’re a young guy that has to keep up with his six year old son and run a business, you need to eat considerably more to maintain enough energy to get you through the day, so, don’t stop eating on my account because honestly, and you know I don’t lie.....it doesn’t show at all.”

She leaned forward and kissed him. When she broke away, she smiled.

“You taste like barbecue chicken and.....macaroni and cheese. You really did eat everything in sight,” she teased.

Dean drew her back for another kiss as his desire flared up. 

“Well, like you said, I need enough energy to get me through this night,” he said with a sly smile.

Buffy heaved a soundless gasp as they locked eyes, then mouths in a hungry laden kiss. Even though she was completely numb and raw, her body seemed to crave more. She slumped down on the mattress as Dean toppled over her, quickly slipping out of his jeans and tossing them aside. After a long minute of fervent kissing, he eased very slowly back inside her as she winced but gasped in intense pleasure. 

After a time, the heat from his flesh absorbed the raw sensation that had numbed her canal and all she felt was that delightful agony soaring through her as he slowly carried her back up that mountain. 

OH MY GOD - were the only words her mind could process as she climbed higher and higher. She clutched him tightly as he dropped his weight down on her. He latched her legs around his waist and settled them slightly above his hips, angling to take him deeper.

Dean pulled away from her mouth briefly and drank in her expression heavy with rapture. Feeling all the signs, he was surprised to see her trying to stave off the inevitable. He cracked a little smile, when he realized why. 

OH MY GOD – was the only thought that echoed in her mind. Even though she thought she couldn’t take any more glorious agony, that she would simply die in his arms, that he had worn out the delicate tissue between her legs, she didn’t want the moment to end. She bit down on her lips, trying to hold back the announcement of her pending arrival at the top of that mountain, knowing he would let go, he stroked her cheek and uttered in her ear.

“I’ve got at least one more in me, so just let it go,” he whispered.

Her mouth broke into a silly grin, releasing the roar that beckoned furiously at her throat. 

OH MY GOD.

She sailed over that mountain with him, hearing echoes on her own song. After a minute, he heaved several breaths before he hunkered down on top of her. She clasped her arms around him tightly as he kissed her for another long minute. 

A short time later, after he withdrew from her and rolled onto his side, she curled up against him. He curled an arm over her and pulled her close. As she gave in to the fatigue gripping every fiber of her body, her eyelids gradually drifted shut until the distinct sensation poking sharply at her bottom made her widen her eyes in shock.

OH MY GOD. 

He was still solid as a rock.


	8. Crazy For You

After dozing off for a time, Buffy slowly roused, her eyelids fluttering open. She let out a very soft yawn as she rolled onto her side. As her sights settled into her focus, she saw Dean eating yet again, straight from a cereal box. His cheeks were stuffed to the max with cereal pieces, resembling a chipmunk that had eagerly feasted on a bunch of walnuts. She giggled out loud, drawing his attention to her. His eyes widened with awkwardness from being caught in another gluttonous moment. After several minutes of furiously chewing, his imploded cheeks gradually dissipated. He cleared his throat and wiped his mouth.

“Uh.....” 

He forced out a laugh as he drew out a sheepish smile.

“God, what you must think of me?”

Buffy clutched the pillow to her face and smiled up at him.

“You like to eat, there’s nothing wrong with that,” she reasoned. “And I like to cook, so, I think it’s a good set up.”

She watched a spark flare in his eyes at the mention of food.

“Yeah, you feel like cooking....right now?”

Buffy burst into laughter when he accompanied his question with a goofy grin.

“Oh um....I could....if I ever get feeling back in my um...everythings.”

Dean exaggerated a curious look.

“What? You have no feeling anywhere? Why is that? I can’t even fathom what the reason would be.”

Buffy swallowed a gasp as she saw that spark she had become accustomed to seeing over the past few hours. Desire ran rampant in his eyes as he graced a sexy smile upon her that made her body quiver with attraction. As she watched him shake out another handful of cereal, she absorbed all the great concern and affection he had displayed, not just in the earlier hours of the night but over the weeks. She propped her elbow on the pillow and rested her head in her hand as she watched Dean enjoying his late night snack. After a minute, he set his eyes on her and drew another awkward smile.

“Sorry, did you want something before I eat every morsel of food in this house?”

She shook her head as she beamed a dreamy smile.

“No, I’m fine, thank you though,” she said. 

Dean marveled some more in the bright twinkle of her eyes whenever she smiled. He set the box of cereal aside and shifted down onto his side on the mattress, drawing her into his arms. Buffy heaved a delightful sigh as Dean played with her hair for a time. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly for a minute before drawing her closer to his body. 

Buffy gulped when his prominent arousal gently brushed against her thigh as he cradled her closer. He chewed very gingerly on the fleshy crease of her neck as her lower body blistered with numbness. She let out a soft moan and cupped her arms tighter around him as he continued to bombard her body with little shocks of pleasure.

“Dean, I....I can’t possibly,” she confessed softly.

Dean hitched his head up and met her eyes. 

“What? Oh, I wasn’t trying to seduce you....I was just....I like being with you that’s all....”

He smiled before he planted a short kiss on her lips. He stroked her cheek a few times before he tucked her back in his arms. Buffy swallowed a squeak and her cheeks flared with color when she felt the pressure in his aroused muscle tightening even more against her thigh. 

“Um, Dean, I.....” she gulped. 

He peeled back his head and took in her awkward expression.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Um it’s not what’s on my mind but more um...on my.....um.....thigh,” she pointed.

Her cheeks shot another shade of red as she averted her eyes. Dean let out a brief chuckle as he inched away from her body.

“Sorry, um, I can’t seem to.....distract....myself so that it doesn’t um.......”

After a long minute of trying to drum up a funny reference, he let out a sigh.

“I give up, call it a guy thing or a ‘starved’ man thing I don’t know.”

When she felt a shiver in the lower half of her body, she gulped in surprise. Even though an immense fatigue gripped her system, even though her body was completely numb, even though her mind still floated high in the air, even though she believed if she had any more delightful agony she would pretty much die, the shivers quaking through her loins settled into an intense, almost painful ache, an ache that was rapidly wresting control of her the longer she gazed at Dean.

Feeling her attraction rising, Buffy scooted closer to Dean, lining her naked body against his and kissed him passionately for a long minute. As the warmth of her arousal quickly pooled between her legs, she gasped softly through the lingering kiss. Dean edged from her mouth and blinked in surprise when he felt a distinct moisture tickling the outside of his steely flesh as Buffy pressed against him. 

“What happened to ‘I can’t possibly’,” he said with a teasing smile.

Buffy gulped as her cheeks shaded an even deeper red.

“Um....I can’t.....” she said. “But.....”

“But what?”

She averted her eyes briefly as her cheeks nearly burst with bashfulness.

“But I um.....want to,” she admitted softly.

After a long gaze, Dean cracked an amused smile.

“Gee, do you like this or something because it’s REALLY hard to tell,” he replied. 

He cupped her chin and gently drew her forward for a long kiss. Buffy let out a soft moan of contentment as she yanked him deeper into the kiss. After a short minute, Dean hitched her thigh over his hip and tucked her closer within his arms. As she lapped her tongue around his mouth, she raked a hand through his hair and caressed his face. He took a moment to absorb the amazing sensation blazing through him as every subtle touch of hers heightened his attraction. 

He was completely in awe of how such small graces of intimacy could excite him so much. When he opened his eyes, he fully absorbed the intense affection in her smile. He blinked a few times just to make sure this girl entangled within his arms was real, that the most incredible night with her had actually happened and wasn’t a figment of his imagination, spawned from his deepest desires. He cupped her chin and drew her in for a kiss laden with his deep appreciation for her. 

Buffy moaned joyously through her teeth as Dean kissed her for what seemed like another endless moment. After a brief parting to catch their breath, Dean edged closer to her body before easing himself inside. She squeaked softly as the heat of his flesh soared through her. As he inched her thigh a little higher over his hip, she squeaked again, feeling him slide even deeper within her canal. She clutched him closer, latching her fingers into the groove of his shoulder blades as he made long, slow strokes.

As waves of pleasurable shivers rumbled through her body, she snatched his mouth and plunged her tongue inside. Dean cradled her face and deepened the kiss, soaring in his own blissful state. Even if Buffy had wanted to hold off on the next step, he would have asked her to stay over without a second thought. He had never enjoyed simply kissing a girl for minutes on end when he could have had so much more. But now, as he lengthened the kiss even more, he drank in the feeling of her hair tickling his face, her fingers nestled in the grooves of his back, her soft lips gently rasping against his, her cute little squeaks that erupted from her mouth, every little reaction he etched in his mind. 

As he heard a whisper of a breath in his ear, he opened his eyes for a moment. Buffy drew a wide smile as her eyes were glassy with contentment. He returned her smile as he clutched her body closer, feeling the tremors increasing within her. Her eyes stamped shut as the beads of perspiration thickened over her body. Her mouth opened as she rolled out a series of pants that grew into long moans. Dean inhaled a breath and closed his eyes as his own ecstasy swarmed around him. He held on to the ropes as Buffy wailed with pleasure, her body quavering vigorously. As her wail began to taper off, he let go as Buffy slumped against him, heaving a gasp.

 

Early the next morning, as the faint darkness in the room shifted into light, Buffy let out a soft sigh as her eyes flitted open. She let out another blissful sigh as she felt the warmth of a body beside her. As she stirred, she rolled onto her other side to look at Dean, hearing him rouse. He let out a yawn as his eyes drifted open to see her gazing at him.

“Good morning,” she said with a sweet smile.

“Morning,” he said as another yawn tumbled out of his mouth. 

Dean looked her over for a long minute.

“God, look at you, you’re so perfect in the morning, I thought you’d at least have some funky bed hair or something.”

She gave him an appreciative smile as she took in the sight of his tousled hair. 

“Oh, well I’ll be polite and not point out yours.”

She burst into giggles as he exuded slight embarrassment before raking his hands through his hair. Dean rolled onto his back and eyed the clock before releasing yet another yawn. Buffy curled up against him and smiled. He drew an arm around her shoulder as she threaded her fingers through his free hand. 

“You haven’t bugged Sammy for hours,” she noted. “I’m proud of you.”

“Well, you’re a great distraction,” he remarked.

“When is he going to be home?”

“Ten.”

“Oh, well it’s barely seven-thirty,” she replied. “When should I sneak out of the house?”

She flashed him a teasing smile before giggling. 

“Did you do that a lot for Nelson? Sneak out of the house and make out with him?”

Buffy stopped giggling and cocked her head. 

“No.....just Fridays, the other days I snuck out for some random guy,” she cracked.

Dean blinked with wonder before she burst into laughter.

“Of course I’m kidding,” she said. “I wasn’t some smoochies hound. What kind of girl do you think I am?”

She snickered with amusement as Dean gave an awkward look.

“Sorry, I guess I was just....curious.”

Buffy saw the wonder in his eyes as she gazed up at him. She crooked a finger and graced it along his jaw line.

“There’s no Nelson, no random guy, just you......” she said with a wide smile. 

As the curiosity faded from his eyes, he brushed a hand over her hair. 

“So, what’s for breakfast?” she asked.

Dean stared at her genuinely curious expression. 

“Oh uh....well, I’ve got three specialties, there’s cereal...”

Dean glanced at the box of cereal on his bedside table. 

“Which I ate all of it so scratch that....okay, well that leaves....toast and....eggs on the slightly....runny side....”

Buffy shrouded a frown. 

“That’s the best you can do? I stayed over and you offer me meager toast and soggy eggs?”

After half a second of lingering in his awkward expression, Buffy burst into laughter. 

“I’m kidding,” she said. 

She giggled some more as Dean shifted out of his awkward stare.

“Oh,” he said. “You’re.....mean.”

Buffy blinked before she giggled for another minute. After a brief second, Dean joined in on her amusement. When their laughter settled down, Dean pulled her on top of him. Buffy gulped when she felt that blaring arousal alive and kicking and pressing against her inner thigh.

“Gee Dean, do you um....like me or something? Because it’s hard to tell.”

As her cheeks shaded pink, he chuckled for a minute.

“Okay, THAT is completely normal for a guy,” he reasoned. “And before you ask any more awkwardly personal questions, I will shamelessly distract you.”

He took her mouth in a long kiss and felt the tension in his lower half intensifying. Buffy swallowed a gasp as she felt the heat of his muscle lightly knocking against her inner thigh, as if waiting for her to open the door to her tender, fleshy palace and swiftly throwing a wild party. As her mind said, “No more, I seriously won’t be able to walk,” her body screamed, “Oh god, oh god, please take me!” The longer and deeper the kiss lingered, the quicker her mind melted into mush and surrendered to her body’s awakened desires. 

Dean blinked when she opened her legs to his blazing arousal. He inched from her mouth and gazed up at her. 

“Gee, do you like me or something?”

Buffy flushed a deep beet red as he took her mouth back in a hot kissing session before he clutched her hips and gently pitched himself inside. She heaved a gasp and was surprised she didn’t flinch after such tender wear and tear from the three times before. She squeaked a few times as he pulled her up and down the length of his muscle, anchoring his hands under her buttocks. 

Buffy felt an intense tingling sensation as her ecstasy climbed higher and higher. Simple questions that floated through her mind began to drift into silly statements:

What is my name? Uh.......  
Where am I? Uh.......

As she gazed down at Dean and saw his smile, a thought danced around giddily.

OH CUTE BOY! Me like boy. Me like this. Me like that. Oh me Like Cute BOY! 

A short time later, Buffy flashed that silly grin as she cuddled against Dean. Her mind still splintered with numbness as more simple questions went unanswered and more silly statements rippled through the surface.

TRA LA LA LA LA......

 

After succumbing to her own hunger pangs, Buffy rolled out of bed and fished through the pile of clothes on the floor. As she heard the water running in the master bath, she picked out the long sleeve dark grey shirt Dean had worn the previous night. When she rose to her feet and moved slightly, she winced, feeling raw between her legs. She slowly yanked the shirt over her body and buttoned it up. She heaved a breath as she gingerly drifted out of the room and down the stairs. 

When she reached the kitchen, she looked in the fridge and cabinets and surveyed her options. She collected various items from the drawers and set everything on the island counter before looking for a couple of pans. 

Dean shuffled down the stairs after finding the bedroom empty. He heard a rustling in the kitchen as he buttoned up his jeans. He blinked in surprise when he saw Buffy wearing his shirt. He mocked a glare of annoyance.

“Oh so not only did you sneak out of the bedroom but you stole my shirt too?” he asked.

“I’m making breakfast,” she reasoned.

Dean rapidly shifted into a grateful grin.

“Oh, well that makes up for it,” he said. 

He peered over her shoulder as she finished chopping a tomato and threw them into an egg mixture. He eyed some strange boxed items he didn’t remember buying.

“Where’d all this stuff come from?”

“They were in the back of your pantry.”

Dean feigned a dumb look.

“I have a pantry?”

Buffy giggled as he picked up one of the boxes. 

“Oh, Ellen must have bought some of this stuff for me, hoping I would learn to cook something more than...you know....my specialties.”

As he watched her fervently cooking, Dean eyed the assortment of ingredient piles.

“Can I help with something?”

“Um.....no, I think I’ve got it covered.”

Dean sighed in relief. “Oh great, because to be honest, I was just being polite in offering, if I helped, I’d totally ruin something.”

Buffy giggled again as she eyed the coffeemaker.

“You could make the coffee,” she said.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, I’m an expert at that.....it’s not fancy coffee like yours though.”

Dean reached into a cabinet and yanked out a paper filter for the coffee maker.

“I don’t drink fancy coffee every day, just once in awhile I get a hankering for a latte,” she said. 

As he filled the pot with water, he glanced at the phone as it rang. He shuffled over to the phone cradled in a wall unit and snatched it up. 

“Hello?”

“Hi daddy!”

Buffy noticed Dean beaming a wide, bright smile as he cradled the phone to his ear and poured the water in the coffee maker.

“Hey Sammy, how was your sleepover? Did you have fun?”

“Yeah! We made a volcano and walked the dogs and made our own science video!”

“You did? Wow, that’s really cool.”

Dean set the coffee and checked the time before he glanced at Buffy. His eyes drifted over her and lingered on her legs until he felt tension tugging away in his lower half. 

“What did you do last night daddy?”

Dean blew out a breath, chasing out the alluring thoughts that hovered in his mind.

“Oh um, I just....hung out,” he said.

“With Buffy?”

“Uh, yeah, we hung out.”

Buffy shot him a smile when she met his eyes.

“So I’ll be by to pick you up at ten, unless you want me to swing by earlier.”

“Um, daddy, is it okay if I stay longer? Max is going to test the airplane he made with his dad after breakfast. I want to see. Can I daddy? Please?”

“Well, uh, how much longer?”  
“Um, I don’t know, can I call when you can come?”

“Yeah sure Sammy, if I’m not here, then call me on my cell phone, okay?”

“Okay, thanks daddy.”

Dean heaved a sigh.

“I’m glad you’re having so much fun.”

“I got to go now, Max’s dad made waffles!”

Dean widened his eyes. 

“He makes waffles?”

“Uh huh, bye daddy.”

“Bye Sammy...I....”

Dean sighed with disappointment when Sammy hung up. Buffy eyed Dean curiously as he shook his head and sulked.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Dean heaved another sigh as he set the phone back in its cradle.

“Oh, nothing, I’ve just been replaced by a waffle making, fourteen dog owning, science movie making dad with a MULLET,” he moaned. “He’s so much fun Sammy doesn’t want to come home.”

Buffy snorted at his deep scowl before she burst into laughter.

“You’re jealous over a guy that has a mullet?”  
Dean leaned against the island counter and moped deeply. Buffy giggled softly as she drifted over to him.

“Oh, don’t be silly Dean, you’ll always be Sammy’s dad, no matter how cool he thinks Mullet Dad is, he’ll never replace you,” she said. 

Dean shifted his stance and crossed his arms. His sulking expression deepened.

“I’m fun too,” he moaned.

Buffy snickered as she poured her batter in a pan.

“You are loads of fun,” she affirmed. “But you shouldn’t take it personally if Sammy has fun with someone else’s dad, it’s a different kind of fun, it’s science fun.”

“Yeah ‘fun’ isn’t a verb I’d use to describe science stuff.”

“See? You should be grateful that Max’s dad fulfills Sammy’s hunger for science.”

Dean heaved a breath as he relaxed his stance. 

“Yeah, I really can’t stand that Bill Nye guy and if I tried to make a baking soda volcano, I’d probably blow something up so....you’re right.”

Buffy cracked a teasing smile. 

“Of course I am.”

Dean smiled back as Buffy checked on various pans on the stove. He brushed up behind her, slipped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

“So what are you making? It smells fantastic in here.”

Buffy eyed a pan and gave a casual shrug.

“Oh, just some pancakes and omelettes with tomatoes and cheese,” she imparted. 

“Wow, fancy breakfast but I’ll eat it anyway,” he said. 

Dean clutched her tighter as the enticing aroma of the food wafting from the stove blanketed over Buffy.

“MMM, now you smell like a pancake,” he teased. 

Buffy gulped as she shifted her stance and felt her lower body still raw. Dean caught her god fearing eyes and chuckled. 

“I’m just teasing you,” he assured. 

He planted a gentle kiss on her cheek as she turned the burners off.

“Um, plates?”

“Yeah,” he said, slipping away to a cabinet. 

He yanked two plates from a shelf and set them by the stove. Buffy divided a bunch of pancakes onto each plate and then dropped an omelette on each one. Dean poured two mugs of coffee as Buffy set the plates on the kitchen table. Dean settled down at the table. Buffy went back to the fridge and scooped out the butter, an unopened bottle of syrup, a bottle of ketchup and salsa and set all of them out with the plates. Dean eyed the assortment of condiments and smiled. 

“Wow, it’s like Sue’s diner in my kitchen.....awesome,” he replied emphatically. 

Buffy settled down at the table as Dean dove into the plate. After a few bites, he let out a soft moan as he savored the flavor explosion in his mouth.

“God, you really can cook anything,” he exalted. “This is delicious.”

Buffy shook out a little ketchup over her omelette and tore open a sugar packet for her coffee.

“So coffee black and just a little salt and pepper on your eggs,” she noted. “You are a simple guy.”

Dean sat back and took a sip of coffee.

“I’m easy to please,” he remarked with a smile.

After breakfast, Dean shuffled all the plates into the sink as Buffy poured a second cup of coffee for both of them. As she clutched her mug and leaned against the island counter, Dean cracked an amused grin as he settled next to her. 

“So.....one guy was a biter, another one swore so bad he’d make a mafia boss blush and the other liked to....try on your shoes?”

Buffy stifled a gasp as her face heated with embarrassment. 

“Um....oh, you uh picked up on that?”

Dean chuckled for a long minute as her embarrassment dissipated.

“Well, I wondered why you kept asking me all of those weird questions.”

Buffy drew a guilty look. 

“I didn’t mean to interrogate you like that....it’s just.....”

“It’s fine, it was...hilarious once I figured it out,” he said. “I can see why you developed such a negative view of intimacy,” he replied. 

“Well um, not anymore,” she said as her cheeks went red again. 

She shifted in her stance as the faint sounds of Poison’s “Nothing But a Good Time” broke through the silence. She noticed the cell phone on the counter and eyed Dean as the song continued to play.

“You want to get that?”

Dean waved a hand dismissively.

“Nah, it’s just Richie, probably calling me to request a day off or something,” he remarked. “As usual.”

Buffy nodded in acknowledgement.

“Oh um, your mechanic, I see,” she said. “Did you just change your ring tone? That’s different.”

“Well, I personalize them for certain contacts so I can pick and choose my calls, it’s handy when I’m working under a car and can’t see the caller I.D.”

“Oh, that is convenient but um.....interesting song,” she remarked. 

“Yeah, that one is Richie’s because uh.....well, he’s uh......a free spirit.”

She noticed his awkward expression and called him out.

“Or he likes to hang out in strip clubs, a LOT, thus the strip club song,” she noted.

Dean stared at her before he chuckled and confessed.

“Okay, yeah, yeah, that’s completely why I picked that song......it’s interesting that you labeled it as a strip club song....how would you know that? Ever been to one?”

He hitched up an eyebrow in great curiosity.

“Uh no, someone in college once told me that,” Buffy stated. 

“Oh,” he said. 

“Have you been to one?”

Dean shifted in his stance as she gazed up at him.

“Me? No....never, I think those places are...degrading to women, totally offensive.....”

She stared at him a little longer until he cracked.

“Okay, okay, yeah, but it was like a LONG time ago before Sammy,” he confessed. 

“So everyone in your contact list has one, huh? What’s Bobby’s?”

“Renegade,” he answered with a smile.

“Oh, that’s clever, is that a hat tip to the days of your reckless youth?’

“Yeah pretty much,” he conceded.

“Does Sammy have one? I know he’s only six and that’s kind of ridiculous for him to have a cell phone but I’m just curious.”

“Yeah, yeah, I agree, a six year old shouldn’t be carting around a cell phone but he actually does have one, it’s his school’s line, so....reluctantly, because he picked it, his theme is ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ by....Bon Jovi.”

Dean shook his head for a second as Buffy finished her coffee.

“What’s so bad about that? It’s not a horrible song,” she said.  
Dean shrugged. “Eh, they rock out - occasionally - but like I said, I let Sammy pick it and that’s one of his favorites.”

“Oh.....so what’s mine?” Buffy asked with a goofy grin.

Dean fidgeted uncomfortably in his stance as he was put on the spot.

“Uh, well, right now it’s just a standard ring.”

Buffy mocked an offended glare. “I’m not special enough for my own ring tone? What’s a girl got to do to earn that privilege, huh?”

“When it’s you, not much,” he said.

Buffy heaved a breath as his smile simply melted her away.

“It takes some thought but I’ll figure something out,” he said. “If you want one.”

“Uh yeah, I mean Bobby has “Renegade” that’s practically a tribute and YOU should worship me with a tribute,” she joked.

As she giggled, she caught the sparkle in his eyes. 

“So what are your plans for the next few hours?” he asked.

“Gee Dean, you’re getting a little needy,” she said lightly.

He drew a genuine look of concern.

“Am I?”

“I’m totally kidding,” she said. “I am. I’d be happy to keep you company until you pick up Sammy.”

As they exchanged smiles, “Renegade” blasted through the silence. Dean swept up his phone. 

“Now this I probably should take,” he remarked.

“Of course, could I possibly use your shower before we leave the house?”

“Yeah, you know where it is; towels are on the shelf next to the sink.”

Buffy nodded and quickly ambled out of the kitchen to the stairs.

A short time later, after showering and putting on a fresh set of clothes, Buffy drifted down the stairs to find Dean on the living room couch looking through his leather folder and making notes. She settled down next to him and smiled when he met her eyes. 

“Not to sound needy or anything but uh, are you free on Thursday night? Ellen called to have us over for dinner, Bobby has the night off and Cass and Jo will be there.”

“Oh that sounds nice, I’m looking forward to meeting them so yeah, I’d love to.”

“Okay, I’m penciling you in with PEN,” Dean said with a silly smile.

He made a little scribble in a calendar box.

“And how about Tuesday around eleven-thirty? There’s this Career Day at Sammy’s school and there’s a lunch afterward, maybe if you’re feeling inspired you could whip up some tasty sandwiches or just send them my why if you can’t get away from work.”

Buffy giggled at his goofy grin.

“Oh um, Tuesday....I have to check my schedule but I think I can manage it.”

“But you’ll bring the lunch? Normally, I would take care of it but he asked for something special that day.”

She giggled again as she noticed his wide enthusiasm. 

“Yeah, I’ll bring the lunch for you and Sammy. So Career Day, do you have a speech prepared?”

“A speech? No, I was just going to wing it, there’s probably going to be a lot more complicated careers than an auto mechanic, it’s not nearly as interesting as....brain surgery.”

“I’m sure Sammy thinks you’re very interesting and FUN,” she remarked. “So any other days you want to hog my time?”

Dean drew a sheepish smile until Buffy giggled.

“I’m kidding,” she said. “I like spending time with you.”

She gave him a sweet kiss on the mouth. When she edged away, she saw that distinct flare of longing in his eyes and inhaled a breath. 

“You know, I need to go grocery shopping today so maybe we could do that before you drop me off, you can tell me what kind of sandwiches you want for Tuesday.”

“Oh I’m not picky.”

“Oh, so carrot it is,” she snorted.

 

Buffy strolled through the grocery store with her cart after Dean drifted off to a different section. She eventually found him looking through the frozen food aisle. She snickered when she saw the assortment of packaged goods in his basket. When he met her eyes, before he peered inside her cart. 

“Wow, what are those?”

“Vegetables,” she said.

He exaggerated a dumb look.

“Really? They have those here?”

“Uh, yeah in the produce section.”

“Oh, well I never go to the left half of the store,” he cracked.

Buffy glanced in his basket and exuded her amusement.

“Nitrates and artificial flavors, Yummy,” she cooed.

 

An hour later, Dean eased the car up to Buffy’s house and carried her grocery bags into the house. A few minutes later, he drifted to the door to pick up Sammy. Buffy gave him a big hug before they shared a tender kiss. 

“Thanks for the amazing evening....and um...morning,” she said as her cheeks flushed red. 

Dean cupped her face in his hands and chuckled briefly.

“Best sleepover ever,” he exalted. “Thanks for making breakfast.”

They shared another kiss that lingered until Dean reluctantly pulled away. Buffy walked him out to the porch.

“Say hi to Sammy for me,” she said.

“Will do.”

When she smiled deeply, he pulled her back into his arms and set another long kiss on her mouth. She gingerly pressed a hand on his chest and inched away.

“Sammy’s waiting for you,” she urged gently. “I’ll talk to you later.”

 

A little while later, Dean bounded down the walk to Ash’s house just as the door opened. Sammy skipped down the walkway as Dean beamed a smile. He scooped Sammy up in his arms. 

“Hey Sammy! I missed you!”

Sammy turned to Ash and Max and waved goodbye. Dean examined Sammy closely and blew out a breath of relief when he didn’t find any cuts or bruises. He set Sammy down and opened up the backseat. Sammy climbed in with his rucksack and bag of treats that Ash sent him off with.

After veering off toward his house, Dean smiled back at Sammy.

“So you had such a good time you didn’t want to come home right away, huh?”

“I like Max’s house! He has a lab! And dogs! And computers! Daddy can I get a dog and a computer?”

“A dog AND a computer?”

“Yeah, can I?”

“Well Sammy, a dog is a big responsibility. You have to take care of every need, just the way I do for you.”

“I can take care of a dog daddy,” Sammy said.

Dean heaved a soft sigh. “I know you can but right now between your games and school projects and my work responsibilities I don’t think we have enough time to dedicate to a pet.”

When Sammy started to mope, Dean heaved another breath.

“Maybe when things settle down a little more, we’ll talk about it, okay?”

Sammy brightened and nodded his shaggy haired head.

“What about a computer? Can I have one? You don’t have to take care of those.”

“No, I suppose you don’t but you really think you want one? I mean, I have one and I hardly use it.”

“Max and his dad do science projects on the computer,” Sammy replied.

“Oh, well, we’ll see, if you get a lot of science projects, we can try and use mine for now.”

Sammy looked through his rucksack as Dean eyed the time.

“You hungry Sammy? Want to go to that burger shack you like so much?”

“No, I ate leftover waffles as a snack.”

Dean let out a sigh of disappointment.

“Did you have fun with Buffy?”

Dean blew out a breath as he felt tension flooding through his body when his mind drifted back to the previous hours. He drew a wide smile.

“Uh, yeah I uh, I sure did.”

Monday morning, Dean strolled into work a half hour earlier than usual. He whistled a tune as he carried a box of warm doughnuts and set it out in the lounge. He clicked the stereo unit on and drifted around the garage setting out equipment before he paged through several work orders. Cass, Caleb and two other mechanics ambled into the garage as “Just Like Living in Paradise” by David Lee Roth played on the radio. Dean cranked up the radio and nodded to Cass and Caleb.

“Hey guys, grab some breakfast in the lounge,” he said. “From Sue’s Diner.”

Cass and Caleb took pause as Dean leaned over an open hood while singing and air drumming along to the song. After a minute, he swung around from the hood and glanced at the guys.

“What’s up? You guys doing okay? Cass, how’s Jo doing? You want some time off?”

“You seem in good spirits today,” Cass remarked.

“I am, aren’t you? I mean, you’re going to be a dad! That’s awesome! You know, if you need any advice....don’t ask me because I pretty much winged it.”

Dean chuckled as he glanced down at the hood and bobbed his head. Cass wandered off as Caleb observed Dean a few minutes more as he kept singing.

“This must be just like living in paradise and I don’t want to go home....” 

 

A few hours later, Richie rushed into the garage as Dean caught his eyes. Richie exuded a mildly guilty look as Dean bobbed his head to “More Than a Feeling” by Boston.

“Hey Dean, sorry for being so late I was uh....I was stuck in traffic and my dog had worms and I had to take him to the vet....”

Dean wiped the oil gauge clean with a rag and looked at Richie curiously.

“You were late? Oh, I didn’t even notice,” he remarked with a smile. 

Richie stared at Dean. 

“Yeah I uh, it’s almost eleven.”

Dean eyed the clock in the garage.

“Wow! Time flies when you’re having fun,” he chimed. “Well, no worries man. Just don’t make a habit of it and sorry to hear about your dog man, that’s gotta suck having worms, wow....you know Sammy was asking if he could have a dog but now that you’re telling me about this....look at me I’m rambling.”

Dean chuckled with amusement as he slapped Richie lightly on the shoulder.

“Go get settled and grab some doughnuts man, I brought them in from Sue’s diner.”

Dean went back to work under the hood as Richie slowly wandered away. Richie paused at Caleb’s station. 

“Boss is in a good mood,” Richie remarked. “He get laid?”

“Yeah, I’d say so,” Caleb replied.

After marveling in the sight of Dean playing air guitar, Caleb and Richie settled into work. A few minutes later, the house phone rang in the garage. Dean picked up the line closest to his station and answered. Richie took pause as Dean beamed a smile as bright as a spotlight. 

“Hey....thank you....you always call me at work and you don’t really have to....oh......god you’re so sweet.....”

Richie and Caleb gathered in a work station and observed their boss shining a giddy smile. 

 

In the break room, Willow caught Buffy as she topped off her coffee. She pulled Buffy to a corner of the lounge.

“So....how was the um third date.....you know.”

Buffy heaved a breath as her cheeks flushed red.

“Um...I....can’t even speak about it.”

Willow widened her eyes and winced.

“So it was bad?”

Buffy felt her cheeks burning even more as her mind drifted over thoughts of her past weekend. Willow took note of the wide, goofy smile. 

“Oh, my goodness, it was THAT good?”

Buffy let out a squeak as her cheeks simply flushed another degree of red. 

“So you spent the whole weekend together?”

“No, he dropped me off on Sunday before he picked Sammy up and then I was going to do a little cleaning but I was feeling…achy so I just um.....soaked in the bathtub instead.....for an hour and a half....”

Willow gasped. “You mean you were achy from all the....”

Buffy fanned her cheeks as she eyed the clock.

“I’ve got to run off to a student meeting,” she said. 

“Okay, I’m glad you broke that bad ‘ya know’ streak,” Willow remarked. 

Buffy heaved another breath as she hung in the doorway.

“Same time for lunch?”

“Oh um, Oz and I will grab something. I figured you’d be going out with Dean for lunch....like a couple!”

Willow danced in her stance as her breathing grew ragged with excitement.

“Oh! My! Goodness! You and Dean and me and Oz – we can do all kinds of couple stuff!”

“Breathe Will! Breathe!”

Willow forced several deep breaths out to calm herself. Buffy sighed in relief and patted her shoulder.

“I’m actually staying in for lunch today. I’m a little swamped with student-parent conferences with the holidays nearing. Anyway, I’m going to see him tomorrow for a luncheon thing at Sammy’s school.”

Buffy eyed the time again.

“Oh, I’ve really got to run, I’ll catch you later. Keep breathing, okay?”

Willow nodded as Buffy gently ushered her out into the hall. 

 

As the lunch hour neared on Tuesday, Buffy trekked out to Sammy’s school and weaved through the parking lot looking for a spot. She yanked out her cooler of food and her purse and wandered curiously down a hallway until she noticed a sign indicating the location of the Career Day luncheon. Several groups of parents lingered outside the main cafeteria. 

Buffy smiled when she saw Dean and Sammy talking to a teacher. Dean met her eyes and gently swung Sammy around. Sammy widened his eyes in delight. 

“Buffy! Buffy!” 

Sammy darted over to her. Buffy kneeled down as he wrapped his little arms around her. When he broke away, he looked up at Dean.

“Was this my surprise daddy?”

“Yeah, it sure was.”

Sammy looked up at Buffy as she smiled at Dean. Dean hovered near her as she planted a kiss on his cheek. 

“So what’s for lunch? I’m starving.”

“Well THAT is a surprise,” she teased. 

As the crowds of parents filed into the cafeteria for the start of the lunch hour, Dean guided Buffy through rows of tables and settled down at one near the back. Sammy climbed up onto the bench and sat next to his daddy. Buffy popped open the lid of the cooler as Sammy leaned over the table and peeked inside. 

“I made chicken curry salad and one plain chicken salad for.....picky people.”

Buffy widened her eyes in a teasing manner as she set out the stack of sandwiches and a few napkins. 

“Chicken curry?” Sammy asked.

Dean eyed the concoction as Buffy yanked out a plastic container of other food items. 

“Yeah, it’s got apples in it and some curry seasoning but it’s not spicy. You can have the plain chicken one if you want and your daddy can just suffer.”

“Thanks,” Dean moaned lightly.

Buffy giggled as Sammy shook his head and took the chicken curry. Dean got up from the table when he eyed a line in the corner.

“I’ll snake some drinks, what do you want Sammy? Apple juice or milk?”

“Mmm, milk please.”

Dean beamed a smile at Sammy before shifting his attention to Buffy.

“Just a bottle of water if they got it.”

Dean wandered off to the table set with drinks as Sammy took a bite of his sandwich. 

“What do you think Sammy? Is it any good?”

Sammy grinned and nodded. 

“It’s good Buffy, I like it.”

“Aw, are you just saying that to be nice?”

“No, I like it.”

Sammy took a few more bites as Dean returned and set out the drinks. He watched Sammy attacking the sandwich.

“How’s that sandwich Sammy?”

“It’s really good daddy, you should have one.”

“Uh....well, gosh there’s only two and Buffy’s got the other one so I’ll just eat what I got.”

Buffy stifled an amused laugh and shook her head. Dean eyed the contents of the plastic container. 

“Are those....home made potato chips?”

Buffy nodded as she handed him a napkin. Dean passed on the napkin and dug out a handful from the container. 

“There’s fruit too....”

“Oh, I’m good.”

Buffy shook her head in amusement as Sammy spooned out some fruit. 

“Daddy makes peanut butter and bologna sandwiches.”

Buffy exaggerated a wince. 

“Together? Eww.”

Sammy chuckled. “No. You’re funny. Peanut butter sandwiches or bologna.” 

“OH! I see.”

“But I like this sandwich,” Sammy said emphatically. 

“Much better than what your daddy can make, huh?”

Sammy chomped another bite and nodded. Dean mocked an annoyed expression.

“Hey, I’m no Fancy Nancy like you.” Dean moaned. “But I should at least get an ‘A’ for effort.”

“Maybe you can get the recipe daddy.”

Dean widened his eyes. “Uh.....or maybe Buffy can make them again whenever you get a craving Sammy. It’d probably turn out way better.”

“Would you make it again Buffy? I like it.”

Buffy smiled at Sammy as he dug out some more fruit.

“Of course Sammy, whenever you’re hungry for something special you can call me and order something.”

Dean blinked before his eyes went wide with glee.

“Does that apply to Sammy’s hardworking dad too?”

Buffy exaggerated a hesitant look.

“Oh I don’t know, is he cute because cute boys are a requirement for my home cooking.”

She burst into laughter as Sammy noticed his daddy cupping a hand around Buffy’s over the table. 

“So how was your career day segment? Did you get bombarded with questions?”

“No, not really, it was a really simple five minutes.”

After finishing up lunch, Dean stared at the cooler.

“So what’s for dessert?”

“Oh, I didn’t make any.”

Dean heaved a deep sigh of disappointment.

“Oh.”

After a brief second, she giggled.

“I’m kidding.”

Buffy flipped the lid of the cooler as Dean and Sammy leaned over the table to peek inside. She removed a foil cover to reveal a stack of brownies. Dean and Sammy widened their eyes in glee as she fetched out the plate and set them on the table. She giggled as the two each grabbed one and quickly devoured them.

“Oh my god,” Dean moaned. “These are so amazing.”

“Yummy!” Sam roared. 

Sammy reached for a second one until Dean stopped him.

“Just half of one more Sammy, I don’t want you running around the classroom like a wild banshee.”

Sammy moped as Dean broke the brownie in half.

“Oh, no worries Sammy, I’ll send the rest home with your daddy and you can have some more later.”

Sammy grinned as brownie crumbs stuck to the corner of his mouth. 

 

A short time later, Buffy walked with Dean to Sammy’s classroom. She glanced at her watch as Sammy gave Dean a hug and then eyed her. Buffy smiled as she bent down to hug Sammy.

“Bye sweetie, I hope you enjoyed your lunch.”

Sammy nodded. “Thank you for making it. Will you do it again Buffy?”

“Anytime you want,” Buffy replied. “Now go learn something new and bug your dad A LOT about it later, okay?”

Sammy nodded as he ran back into the classroom. Dean waved at him as the remainder of kids filed inside. Dean and Buffy strolled down the hall, making their way off campus.

“Stop conspiring with Sammy,” Dean moaned lightly.

“Why? Are you afraid he’s going to force you to eat of all things....FRUIT??”

She giggled as he passed off a shrug.

“I don’t have a problem with fruit - as long as it’s in pie.”

Buffy giggled harder and shook her head in amusement. As they drifted into the parking lot, Buffy noticed Dean bypassed his car and continued walking with her. 

“Ah, there’s that eyesore,” he cracked.

As she rummaged through her purse for her keys, Dean looked over the car. He crouched down and pinched the right rear tire, then circled around and repeated the action on the other three. 

“Your tires could use some more air,” he remarked. 

Buffy unlocked her door and gave an amused smile.

“Is that just an excuse to get me to drop by your work?”

“No, I’d never make excuses, your tires really do need air, improves your gas mileage in the long run and I’d be happy to take care of that for you.........if you want to stop in sometime this week.”

Buffy heaved a breath as his pleasant smile. She feigned a concerned look. 

“I don’t know, what’s that going to cost me? Mechanics are known for ripping people off you know.”

Dean drifted closer as she swung her door open. He leaned against the car and slipped an arm around her waist. 

“Well, I’m sure you can work something out. I know the owner and he likes to eat and I hear that you are an amazing cook, not to mention insanely beautiful so, I don’t think you’ll have a problem if you want to offer him something with a little wink.”

He cracked a teasing smile. Buffy heaved a gasp.

“Are you saying that I should use my...feminine wiles to get free air in my tires? What kind of girl do you think I am?”

Dean shifted into a sincere expression.

“An insanely beautiful girl with amazing cooking skills,” he remarked.

Buffy graced a hand under his chin and smiled.

“Aww, you are so sweet,” she cooed. 

“Wow, you fell for that one, huh?” he asked before ripping with laughter. 

Dean clutched her tighter as his amusement settled down.

“Thanks for coming out today. Lunch was awesome and you are so amazing with Sammy. He panned my cooking skills in front of you without an OUNCE of care.”

Dean chuckled briefly before he glanced around the parking lot for prying eyes. Since class was back in session, no faculty or parents were roaming around anymore. He leaned in and kissed her solidly on the mouth. Buffy inhaled a breath as that blissful feeling soared through her. She let out a soft, contented sigh before she gently inched away from him.

“I have to get back to work,” she said.

“Oh right, so, should I follow you and we’ll meet up under the bleachers for a little ‘post’ dessert?” he asked with a wide grin.

Buffy gulped briefly before Dean burst into laughter.

“I’m kidding.....you’re so cute when you get that fearful look in your eyes.......unless you want to because honestly, that sounds pretty fun right now.”

He watched her cheeks flush hot as he chuckled again.

“I’m still kidding.....mostly,” he confessed. 

Buffy inhaled a deep breath as her burning cheeks made her feel almost feverish. Dean widened the driver side door as Buffy slowly got inside. 

“Um, maybe I can stop in before lunch tomorrow and get the tires taken care of?”

“Yeah, I’ve got some meetings tomorrow but just pull me out of my office and I’ll take care of you.”

Buffy beamed an appreciative smile up at him.

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”

Dean gently shut the door as she started the car. After pulling out of the parking spot, she waved goodbye.

 

The next morning, shortly after drifting into his office, Dean took pause at the sight of a handful of young and attractive girls in the waiting area. Richie was lingering around the room, handing out coffee cups, grinning and flirting. Dean wandered down the hall and drew a suspicious eye at Richie. 

“Hey Richie, can I have a word?”

Richie flashed a smile at a blonde girl in a low cut dark green dress before shuffling over to Dean. 

“Yeah boss, what’s up?”

“Why does my lobby look like the night shift of Cheetahs?”

Richie gave a casual shrug as his eyes fixated on a few of the girls.

“They’re interviewing for the job opening,” he said.

Dean gawked at the women in surprise. 

“What? All of them?”

Richie nodded, “Yeah, you said last week that I could use my referral in getting some candidates to fill the front desk. These are them.”

“I did?”

“Yeah, last week when you were....ya know running around here like a mad man.”

“Oh, that was a stressful week so I guess it slipped my mind,” Dean remarked. 

Dean noticed a few of the girls staring at him. He shifted his eyes to Richie.

“My brother in law is in photography, he sent a few over off his client list.”

“Wait, all these girls are models?”

“Yeah, they do some modeling.”

Dean heaved a sigh and flashed a disapproving frown.

“We discussed this in the staff meeting last month Richie, we need people with customer service experience not just pretty faces.”

Richie removed a stack of papers from his binders.

“They do, here are there resumes.”

Surprised by their legitimate reasons for being there, Dean snatched the stack and sifted through the resumes. 

“Oh.....uh....okay.....”

“Amy was a pretty face Dean,” Richie pointed. “And she ran this desk pretty well until she had to move away.”

“Yeah she did,” Dean replied. “Well, I’ll look these over.”

“I got another set of girls coming in the afternoon.”

Dean deepened his frown.

“What are you like a car show pimp?”

Dean shook his head as he reviewed the first resume. He heaved a sigh and shook his head when he saw the name. 

“Uh, morning ladies,” he said.

All the girls shot their eyes to Dean and gave enticing smiles.

“Which one of you is.....Candee Lewis?”

The blonde girl in the dark green dress sprung to her feet. 

“Oh, okay, uh, come on back.”

Dean shot his eyes to Richie who ogled over Candee as she swayed down the hall. Richie drifted down the hall to Dean’s office as Caleb strolled into the lounge and looked around. 

 

A few hours later, with the waiting room packed with more attractive young girls, Richie and Caleb switched off on breaks to casually wander in and chat. 

Buffy peeled out of her car as the lunch hour arrived. She strolled through the auto shop parking lot and eyed the mechanics. One with a short blonde buzz cut met her eyes. She saw the nametag on his work shirt that said Caleb.

“Can I help you miss?”

“Oh um, I need to get some more air in my tires, Dean said I could stop in and he’d take care of it.”

Caleb looked her over. “He’s in a meeting but I’d be happy to help you.”

“Um, he said I could just pull him out of his office,” she said.

Caleb wiped his greasy hands on a rag. 

“Oh, you know the way or I can show you.”

Buffy shook her head. 

“I know the way, thanks for your help.”

Buffy drew cautious eyes to the ground strung with various cords and hoses. She peeled open the side entrance when she heard high pitched cackling. She glanced off into the lobby and noticed several young women in low slung tops and form fitted outfits hanging out. 

 

Dean bit back his annoyance and pried a polite smile on his face as he walked another girl out of his office. 

“I’ll uh, have someone let you know, thanks for coming in,” he said.

The brunette girl smiled wide at him as Dean noticed Buffy staring at him in the hall. 

“Hey.”

Dean edged over to Buffy as she glanced at the girls in the lobby.

“What’s going on here? It looks like a casting call for America’s Top Model,” she remarked.

Dean drew an awkward smile. “Uh, it would seem like that, huh? But actually, I’m trying to fill the front desk, I’ve put it off for awhile but with the holidays gearing up I could really use the help with the menial office stuff, anyway, apparently I told Richie last week that he could bring in some referrals.”

“And they just happen to be ALL attractive young bunnies, huh? Was that in the job requirement listings?”

Buffy stared up at him with a suspicious eye. 

“No, no, of course not, surprisingly, most of these girls have worked a desk before so I’m keeping an open mind.”

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest.

“An open mind would be considering hiring a guy, not someone who could headline at Olympic Gardens.”

Dean widened his eyes immense shock. 

“How do you know about Olympic....”

He let his inquiry trail off when he detected a genuine sense of offense rising over her face. He cleared his throat and fidgeted uncomfortably.

“Uh right....I need someone with more customer service experience not just a pretty face, I’m definitely with you there.”

Dean slipped a gently hand at the small of her back and led her through the side door. Richie eyed Dean.

“You want me to take over interviews man?”

Dean shot a mild glare at Richie.

“No, I’ll finish it up but call your guy and tell him not to send the second wave,” he said. 

Dean glanced at Caleb who was ogling the girls through the lobby window.

“Hey, get back to work and run out some of that air pressure hose for me.”

Caleb tore his eyes away from the lobby and wandered over to a small air hose. He ran off several feet of the hose and tossed it into the parking lot. Dean put his clipboard on the hood of Buffy’s car before he crouched down to a tire.

Buffy glanced into the lobby window before looking down at Dean.

“So, did your last receptionist look like she’d been ripped off the cover of Perfect Ten?”

Dean clipped the air pump on the tire spout as he focused on his task.

“Uh....what’s Perfect Ten?” he asked innocently.

Buffy heaved a breath before her brows furrowed with mild anxiety. Dean finished off the first tire and moved to the rear as he gauged her look of concern.

“I’m not looking to fill the desk with a pretty girl,” he assured. “I need someone efficient with the switchboard and preferably a basic knowledge of auto parts to field general questions from customers. I’d really like to be able to spend my time working on cars than answering the phones and sending out coupon mailers.”

Buffy noticed Richie and Caleb lingering near the lobby window.

“Well, your guys don’t seem concerned about having adequate staff,” she noted. 

Dean glanced over his shoulder and frowned at Richie and Caleb.

“Yeah well, I’m the boss and I need a sharp front desk assistant.”

Dean finished up the second tire and took an air pressure reading before moving around the other side of the car. 

“Less office tasks for me means more time with Sammy and.....the hottest girl in town.”

Buffy turned her eyes away from the lobby and looked down at Dean. 

“Oh, who might that be?”

When he saw a teasing curl in her smile, he released a breath as she giggled softly. A few minutes later, Dean tapped off the air hose and flicked it back toward the garage. 

“Okay, you’re all set,” he said.

“Thanks,” she replied with an appreciative smile. “You want to grab a bite?”

Dean glanced at his watch and sighed. 

“I really want to but I’ve got my collision specialist coming in shortly, and then a meeting with my equipment supplier, and then these interviews to finish up. I’ll be lucky if I get to eat at all before I have to pickup Sammy.”

Buffy noticed his deep disappointment and edged closer to him.

“Well, I can pick something up and drop it off.”

“No, no, I can order in or something later.”

“Are you sure? I have forty minutes on my break, I can hit a drive thru for you.”

Dean glanced at his mechanics before he beamed a smile at her. 

“I’m sure,” he said. “But thank you for thinking of me.”

As he gazed affectionately at her, he heard footsteps behind him. Caleb yanked the air pump back into the garage and started rolling it up. Dean picked up the clipboard from the hood when he caught sight of Caleb and Richie observing from the garage. He held the clipboard in front of his face and discreetly kissed Buffy on the mouth for a brief moment. When he pulled away, her cheeks flushed red as her mouth turned into a sweet smile. 

“I’ll talk to you later,” she cooed as she opened her door. 

After she got in, Dean gently shut the door and smiled down at her. As she turned on the engine, she rolled down the window and smiled back. 

“Bye sweetie,” she said, widening her smile.

“Bye.”

Dean watched her as she pulled out of the lot and veered down the street. After a minute, he drifted back into the garage and took notice of Caleb and Richie staring at him. Dean frowned and shook his head.

“Either take off for lunch or get back to work,” he replied sternly. 

Richie shrugged and wandered off to his station. 

“Okay............sweetie,” Richie quipped.

Caleb and Richie burst into laughter as Dean shook his head.

“Bunch of chuckleheads, no wonder I can’t get any work done around here,” he grumbled.

Dean bounded back to his office as he heard the echoes of laughter.


	9. Hungry Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Break out the fan, it's going to be another hot one.

Late Thursday afternoon, Dean glanced at his watch as he wandered down the hall to Sammy’s room. Sammy was seated at his desk, swinging his little feet as he looked through his homework assignments. Dean hung in the doorway.

“We’re heading over to your aunt Ellen’s for dinner in a little bit Sammy. You finish your homework?”

Sammy nodded. “Most of it, but I need help.” 

Dean blinked in surprise. “You do?”

Sammy nodded his head. 

“Can you help me?”

Dean heaved a breath in anxiety as he moved into the room.

“Uh, yeah sure, I’ll try my best. What are you working on?”

“It’s a science project.”

Dean heaved another breath as his anxiety thickened another degree. He exaggerated an enthusiastic expression.

“Science, oh, uh.....cool....neat....fun!”

Dean sat on the edge of Sammy’s bed.

“I have to make a solar system.”

Dean sighed as the anxiety dissipated from his system.

“Oh, okay, that doesn’t sound too bad, we can make a run to the hardware store and get some wire and foam and paint.”

Sammy shook his head and handed Dean a sheet of paper.

“I can’t use any of those,” he said.

“What? Why?”

Dean glanced at the sheet and read over the instructions.

“The following items are prohibited from use in this assignment: foam, paint.......wire.......are you kidding me?”

Dean frowned as he read through the rest of the list. 

“Wow, they sure make things difficult nowadays,” he lamented.

Sammy moped in his chair. “That is why I need help daddy. I don’t know how to make a solar system without paint and foam.”

Dean sighed as he scratched his head.

“Yeah Sammy, I can see why this would stump you. I don’t know what they expect you to do, make it out of grass and mud?”

“Mrs. Roberts says we are supposed to be creative and think like a box.”

Dean blinked several times until he translated Sammy’s words.

“Oh, you mean, ‘think outside the box’, which for someone as horribly uncreative as me is a really terrible assignment, that’s why I never did so well in school. Anyway, you’ve got three weeks so we have a little bit of time to think of something.”

“Maybe Buffy can help us, she made glitter shoes.”

Dean felt his heart beat dancing as his mouth curled into a pleasant smile.

“Yeah she did an amazing job on those,” he lauded. “That’s a good idea. We can ask her tonight if she can help you.”

Sammy widened his eyes in glee. 

“Buffy’s coming to dinner?”

“Oh, yeah, didn’t I mention that?”

Sammy shook his head as he began bouncing in his seat.

“Is she my mommy now daddy?”

“No Sammy, she and I are working toward....grown up stuff.”

Sammy heaved a sigh of disappointment. 

“I know you adore her Sammy. I do too but I don’t want to rush into things, it’s still pretty new and....”

Dean noticed Sammy’s wide eyed confusion.

“Uh, never mind. Like I’ve said to you before, just give us time. Now let’s get you ready for dinner. Your aunt Ellen and uncle Bobby are so excited to see you.”

 

An hour later, Dean swung by Buffy’s house to pick her up. Sammy peeked out the back window and bounced in his seat as Buffy breezed through her front door. She strolled down the walkway as Dean quickly climbed out of the car and met up with her on the curb. 

Buffy flashed the deepest smile up at Dean as he tucked her in his arms and hugged her. Buffy turned her eyes to the car and waved at Sammy as Dean opened the passenger side door. She cradled a plastic container in her lap. Dean eyed the container curiously.

“What’s in there?”

“Oh just a batch of cookies, I’m sure Ellen already made something for dessert but I wanted to be a good guest.”

“Well, I’d be happy to eat them.”

Buffy giggled as she turned back and looked at Sammy.

“Hi Sammy, did you have a good day at school?”

Sammy nodded as Dean headed out of the neighborhood. After a few short miles, he pulled behind a dark blue pickup truck in the wide driveway. Buffy eyed the Sheriff’s patrol car and the light blue Mustang she had seen before at the auto shop. As Dean, Sammy and Buffy gathered on the porch, the sound of a dog barking could be heard in the house along with some muffled voices. The door behind the screen swung open and Ellen gave a pleased smile.

“Right on time,” she said. “Good boy Dean.”

Buffy snickered softly as Dean shifted in his stance. Ellen pushed the screen door open to allow everyone inside. A large dog trotted down the stairs and swiftly sniffed the house guests. Sammy danced in his stance as the dog tickled him with his tail. Sammy giggled as the dog began licking his face. Ellen yanked gently on the dog’s collar.

“Easy Rumsfeld, don’t want you soaking my boy until he catches a cold,” she said sternly.

Ellen regarded Buffy with a wide smile.

“Buffy honey, great to see you again.”

“You too, thank you for inviting me,” Buffy remarked. “I brought some cookies for later.”

Buffy held out the container. 

“How thoughtful of you,” Ellen replied. “Come on inside and make yourself comfortable.”

Ellen settled her sights on Dean.

“Run upstairs and fetch Bobby in the lounge,” she commanded lightly.

Dean gazed at Buffy for a long minute, drumming up an opportunity to get her back in his arms for a time. He was amazed that he had missed her since he had seen her on Tuesday. 

Ellen narrowed her eyes on Dean.

“Did you hear me boy?” she snapped.

Dean blinked several times until he returned to Earth. He slowly turned his attention to Ellen who was giving him a hard look.

“Huh? Oh uh, yes ma’am.”

“Well go on,” Ellen barked.

Dean glanced at Buffy before he slowly drifted upstairs. Ellen gave Sammy an affectionate hug before picking him up.

“My goodness Sammy, you’ve grown so much since I’ve seen you,” she said. “Your daddy is going to have to start visiting a lot more often.”

Ellen eyed Buffy. 

“Come on to the kitchen hon,” she said. 

 

Dean wandered down the hall and stuck his head into the lounge to see Bobby enjoying a cigar in his reclining chair.

“Hey Bobby.”

Bobby looked up from his camping catalog and grinned.

“Well, look who came in from the junkyard,” he ribbed.

Dean chuckled as he drifted inside. 

“Ellen wants you to come down for dinner,” he imparted.

Bobby got up from his chair and stamped out his cigar in a small ceramic ashtray. 

“You marry Buffy yet?”

Dean drew an awkward expression. 

“Uh, Bobby, we just started dating, it’s a little early to start....freaking out about wanting to do that.”

Dean enjoyed a short bit of amusement until he noticed Bobby wasn’t laughing. 

“Ellen says Buffy is quite the woman,” Bobby remarked. “And that you’d be stupid to let her get away.”

“Yeah, Ellen really likes to hit it home how stupid I’ve been.”

Bobby flashed a stern frown.

“It’s the honest god’s truth, innit boy?”

Dean blew out a breath and nodded with a humbled expression.

“Yeah, yeah, it is,” he conceded. 

“Okay then, I’m looking forward to seeing her around here a lot,” Bobby remarked. 

“Me too,” Dean confessed. 

 

Ellen carried Sammy into the kitchen where Cass and Jo were seated at the island counter. 

“Buffy, this is my daughter Jo and her husband Cass,” Ellen said. 

Buffy ambled over and drew a friendly smile.

“Hi, so nice to meet you,” she replied. “Oh and congratulations on becoming parents.”

Dean and Bobby entered the kitchen to see Buffy carousing with Jo and Cass. 

 

After Sammy helped set up the dining room table, everyone gathered for dinner. Conversation was rapid between Buffy and Ellen, with Jo listening in as Bobby and Dean talked autos. A short while later, as the plates of food dwindled down, Sammy picked up his plate and carried it to the kitchen. Ellen and Bobby smiled with pride.

“He’s growing up so fast,” Bobby remarked.

Dean looked off at Sammy.

“Yeah, I know....I hate it.”

“You bring him over more often,” Ellen demanded. “I don’t want him running off to college the next time I see him.”

Dean eyed Buffy as her hand brushed over his under the table. 

“Now that you mention it, I was wondering if I can bring Sammy over during the week for a few hours. My regular sitter is going off to focus on her studies and visit family for the rest of the year but she doesn’t want me to replace her because she likes Sammy, so....”

Ellen waved a hand. 

“Not another word Dean. You bring Sammy over whenever you want. You’ve neglected to bring him over the past six months and I ought to smack you up side the head for that. He’s like a grandson to me you know that? So, of course you can have him by.”

Ellen pushed her chair out and gathered some dishes. 

“Oh Ellen, let me help, dinner was delicious,” Buffy remarked, picking up some dishes.

“Thank you but you’re my guest so you sit back down and relax,” Ellen replied. “My family will take care of these.”

Ellen eyed Bobby, Dean and Cass sharply for a brief moment until all three men swiftly got up and started clearing the table. 

While the guys cleaned up the plates in the kitchen, Buffy sat with Sammy, Jo and Ellen in the living room. Ellen brought over a photo album and gave it to Buffy. Buffy opened the album and gasped.

“Oh my goodness, is that Dean?!”

“Yep, he was just a tike,” Ellen noted. “Just shy of two.”

Buffy giggled loudly as she sifted through the album. When Dean walked in, he noticed Buffy practically crying with amusement. 

“What’s so funny?”

Buffy paused in her hysterics and drew a teasing smile.

“You in your Superman underroos,” she said.

Dean widened his eyes as his cheeks flashed red.

“What?”

Dean drifted further into the living room to see Buffy cradling a photo album, Ellen looking over her shoulder.

“El, why are you showing her those?”

Ellen gave him a hard nosed look. 

“She asked to see pictures of Sammy as a baby. I thought she might want to see ones of you too.”

“Oh, I uh, see,” Dean said.

Buffy giggled loudly again as she noticed the sheer horror on his face.

“Pardon me while I go cutup dessert,” Ellen remarked.

“Can I help auntie Ellen?” Sammy asked.

“Sure you can sweetie.”

Buffy set the albums aside and got to her feet. 

“Well I’m helping too, I insist, you’ve been so welcoming,” Buffy said as she shuffled after Ellen. 

Dean watched her amble into the kitchen with an affectionate smile.

“She’s great Dean.”

Dean shot his eyes down at Jo before settling down onto an armchair.

“Yeah, she is.”

“Mom likes her a lot,” Jo remarked.

“Yeah, I could tell by how much she likes to shamelessly embarrass me in front of her.”

Jo drew an amused grin. “Well, mom is treating her like family already.”

Dean heaved a breath as he spied a look into the kitchen.

“So, when’s the big date?”

Dean blinked as he shifted his eyes to Jo. He shook his head in disbelief.

“Geez, you and Bobby and Ellen are really laying the pressure on thick,” he groaned.

Jo shrugged. “Well, you did screw around a lot in the past, at least from what mom’s told me about some of the girls she used to see you with.”

“You mean ‘caught’ me with,” Dean clarified. “And yeah, I solemnly acknowledge the stupid things I did but I’m not the same guy anymore.”

“Yeah, we all know,” Jo assured. “And from what I’ve noticed in this short time, Buffy seems to know that too so I’m assuming she’s aware of that prick you used to be.”

“Yeah, she’s aware,” he confirmed.

“You’re really lucky then.”

Dean nodded as he glanced into the kitchen and watched Buffy and Ellen chatting.

“Yeah, I really am.”

A few minutes later, Bobby emerged from the kitchen with Sammy and Rumsfeld in tow.

“We’re taking Rumsfeld for his walk. We’ll be back in a little while.”

Dean glanced at his watch. “Well, not too long Bobby, Sammy’s got school tomorrow and it’s getting late.”

Bobby frowned at Dean.

“I said I’d be back in a little while boy,” he remarked sharply. “Don’t you be back talking me or I’ll whip your hide.”

Dean heaved a breath, a little taken aback. 

“Sorry.....sir.”

Bobby shifted into a silly grin as he looked down at Sammy. 

“Okay Sammy, you go on and take the leash. Rumsfeld won’t give you any problems. He likes you.”

“Hold Bobby’s hand Sammy,” Dean advised.

Bobby shot Dean a glare. 

“Don’t coddle him like a baby, he’s a big boy,” Bobby snapped.

Bobby shuffled Sammy and Rumsfeld out the door as Buffy and Ellen returned to the living room with plates of dessert. A few minutes later, Cass emerged from the kitchen.

“The dishes have been dried and returned to their appropriate storage compartments,” Cass announced.

Ellen nodded. “Good. Have a seat and enjoy your dessert.”

Cass gave a polite nod as he settled next to Jo on the couch. Conversation picked up between the ladies for almost a half hour. 

Bobby returned with Sammy and Rumsfeld and played out in the yard for awhile. A short time later, as Cass and Jo headed home, Buffy and Bobby lingered in a conversation as Dean went up stairs to check on Sammy. He paused in the doorway to the guest room and found Ellen doting over a sleeping Sammy, Rumsfeld snuggled up beside him. Dean crept inside the room and smiled.

“I think he had too much excitement tonight,” he whispered. “I’ll take him home.”

Ellen stopped him when he started reaching for Sammy.

“He’s tucked away and sleeping. Plus, you move Rumsfeld when he’s like this he’ll bark Sammy awake. You may as well leave him here tonight. He asked me to make blueberry pancakes and I’m not one to decline him.”

Ellen swept a gently hand over Sammy’s head. 

“Oh, okay, well I’ll pick him up tomorrow before school then.”

Dean pressed a kiss on Sammy’s forehead before Ellen urged him out of the room. 

“Bobby can run him off to school, Sammy’s been asking to ride in the patrol car anyway.”

Dean blinked in surprise. “Oh, wow. Okay, but what about clothes for tomorrow and his books and his lunch?”

Ellen flashed a determined look as she closed the door to the guest room to a small margin of a crack.

“I’ve got clothes I’ve stored away for him since you haven’t bothered to visit in SIX MONTHS. I’ll make him a lunch and as for his books, you have ‘em ready and Bobby will pick them up in the morning. Now let me take care of my boy.”

Ellen ushered Dean down the hall and stairs to the living room where Buffy was finishing up looking through photo albums. 

“It was a real pleasure sweetie,” Ellen remarked. “You’re welcome here anytime.”

Ellen walked the two to the door. 

“Have a good night.”

Buffy eyed Dean curiously as they strolled over to the car.

“Where’s Sammy?”

“Ellen is holding him hostage, apparently I’m horrible for not letting her see him more often so she’s going to take him to school tomorrow and make him a lunch and stuff.”

“Oh, how nice of her, Sammy had a lot of fun tonight, he must have conked out while Ellen and I were gabbing.”

“Yeah, you seemed to get along with everyone.”

“Your family is great,” Buffy replied with a smile. “And Cass seems nice too though he doesn’t say much.”

Dean chuckled and leaned against the car. 

“Yeah, he and Oz are the only members of the ‘monosyllabic challenged’ club.”

After his laughter settled, he pulled Buffy into his arms and met her eyes. She smiled affectionately before they shared a long kiss. When he broke away, Dean smiled down at her and swept a hand over her hair.

“I have wanted to do that all night,” he said. “But there hasn’t been an appropriate moment until now. In fact, I feel like I haven’t spent any time with you at all. My family has been hogging your attention along with ruthlessly embarrassing me.”

Buffy giggled at the mope on his face.

“Oh, you mean seeing you in your Superman underroos?”

“Actually, I meant having orders barked at me but thanks for bringing up that horrible moment,” he moaned.

Buffy giggled some more at the sheepish expression rising over his face. 

“They’re a really good group of people,” she said. “Bobby and Ellen talk very highly of you.”

“Really? Because I wouldn’t know, they’re always mildly insulting me,” he cracked.

“Well according to them, you deserve it,” she teased as she lightly poked him in the shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he lamented. “I do.”

Dean clutched her tighter and kissed her more deeply for a long minute. Buffy heaved a soft sigh as Dean raked his hands through her hair. After another minute, he inched away from her before cracking the passenger side door open. 

A short time later, Dean pulled up to the curb of Buffy’s house and walked her up to the door. After unlatching the door, she turned toward Dean and looked up at him. She noticed his eyes sparking brightly with desire. She squeaked out a very soft gasp. 

“Do you....want to come inside....for awhile?”

Dean feigned a look of uncertainty.

“Uh, let’s see............YES,” he said emphatically as he moved inside.

Buffy locked the door behind her and set her coat and purse aside as Dean drifted around the living room.

“Um, so I gave you the tour?”

“Just the lower level. What’s upstairs?” he asked with a teasing smile.

“Um, rooms for....stuff.”

“Oh yeah?”

Dean caught her in his arms and pulled her close.

“What kind of stuff?”

“Um.....stuff for grownups, which you aren’t so you’re not allowed to know.”

She bit back a giggle as his eyes sparked even brighter.

“Oh, well maybe I can convince you how grown up I can be.”

Buffy inhaled a breath when his dazzling smile ignited a fire under her feet. He dipped his mouth over hers and kissed her passionately for a long minute. Feeling that gooey sensation prickling through her at an alarming rate, she clutched Dean tighter and deepened the kiss. She let out a soft moan as his hands caressed the back of her sweater. She echoed his actions, probing her fingers through the fabric of his shirt. Still clutching and kissing each other fervently, they back walked to the couch in the living room and fell onto the cushions. 

Buffy stripped his jacket off and heaved a gasp when her body began raging with arousal. She quickly kicked off her winter boots and settled deeper into the cushions as Dean angled his body over hers. After another minute of long, wet kisses, Dean inched away from her mouth and looked down at her, absorbing the deep glow in her eyes. He stroked her cheekbone as his other hand slipped over her hip.

“Never had sneak previews, huh?”

She shook her head with a bashful smile as he slowly tugged on the button fastening her slacks before gingerly pulling down on the zipper.

“That’s a serious crime,” he replied with a teasing smile.

Buffy inhaled another gasp as her body burned scorching hot with anticipation. Dean propped his mouth against hers as he folded his back against the side of the couch. Buffy let out a soft pant as her body jerked when she felt his hand wandering up her sweater and under her bra to cup her breast, squeezing it very playfully as if he were saying ‘hello’. As he toyed with her breast, tracing circles around the flesh and sloping upward to grace the nipple, her core muscles tightened and her belly quaked with the intense sensation. She let out a pleasant moan as she rolled her tongue around his mouth, feeling her body rapidly boiling from the recent memories of her last time with this wonderful man – the last FOUR amazing times......OH MY GOD! She suddenly felt a blast of moisture splashing through her apex. She shifted her legs slightly when her panties stuck to her throbbing flesh but the more her mind lingered on her blissful memories, the more the geyser of moisture burst through her. She heaved a breath as her senses dulled to the point where she didn’t care anymore.

Her eyes fluttered open when Dean gently inched away from her mouth. She noticed the bright luminescence in his eyes as he gazed down at her for a brief second. In one swift motion, Dean yanked her sweater over her arms and off her head. He planted his mouth back on hers and kissed her deeper as he slipped a hand along her side. 

Buffy heaved a breath when she felt his hand sliding beneath the waistband of her slacks and descending between her legs. She bellowed softly as his fingers danced teasingly over the fabric of her satin panties.

Dean blew out a long breath as he felt the storm of his attraction raging furiously within his body. He sunk his tongue deeper inside her mouth as he gently crooked his index finger beneath the fabric of her panties and pushed it through the delicate folds of her flesh. He swallowed a deep groan dangling at the base of his throat when he found she was already warm and moist as a spring. After heaving a breath between long kisses, he gently stroked the little nub at the base of her cleft. 

Buffy hitched her head back sharply and roared as her eyes rolled shut and her body pitched and twisted with delightful agony. As Dean rasped his finger slowly in and out of her canal, her chest heaved heavily in a succession of pants, elevating her heart rate to a maddening pace. She staunchly believed if he continued this erotic torture, her heart would give out in a short time and she would die with a silly grin on her face. But as her body pitched with more rigor, as he increased the rhythm of his strokes inside her, as he gingerly docked another finger within her, as he yanked aside the fabric of her bra with one quick jerk of his mouth, as he rolled his tongue around her nipple, flicking and lapping at it with fervent hunger, she craved to be attacked in any way he had planned. 

I SURRENDER! 

Buffy desperately gasped for air as the attack on two fronts bombarded her system into a euphoric frenzy. The walls of her throat constricted with each thundering palpitation of her heart. Dean peeled his mouth off her breast and swiftly tugged her pants and underwear down her legs. Buffy shook them off of her ankles and clawed at his shirt. He appeased her grabby hands and yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. As her eyes danced over his bare chest, she felt that spurt of moisture kicking out another dose. He folded over her and kissed her hard for a long minute. When he broke away, he looked down into her eyes, glowing bright as the sun. 

“So, did you like those sneak previews?”

Buffy inhaled a deep gasp as her cheeks inflamed. “Um, they um....hooked me in to....sticking around....what’s the main feature about?”

Dean cast his eyes at her black lace bra.

“Hmm, well, they star two amazing twins,” he quipped.

Buffy rumbled with laughter as he simply stared at her bra for awhile.

“And they’ve been viciously confined all day behind a black lace curtain, they can’t see, they can’t breathe, they’re so SAD and LONELY.”

Buffy snickered deep in her throat as he mocked sad eyes. 

“They keep whispering and praying and hoping that some handsome guy will come along and set them free,” he teased.

She snickered again as he widened his silly grin. 

“Well how does this tale of two twins end, huh? Does the guy like get what he want and then walk away in the middle of the night?”

Dean shifted his body weight over her and smiled.

“Well, he’s a gentleman so he’d ask for permission to stay over because the movie could run kind of long,” he cracked.

Buffy heaved a gasp at the thought of a repeat of the weekend before. As her mind lamented over the length of time she had spent easing the raw tissue between her legs, her body assaulted her with her awakened appetite. She slipped a hand behind his neck and pulled him down for a deep, passion laden kiss. As the kiss lingered, her hands snaked down his back, prodding the grooves of muscle until her fingers danced along the waistband of his jeans. She edged away from him and absorbed the brilliant gleam in his eyes. 

Dean gently rolled off of her and got to his feet. He removed his pants and gingerly pulled her up and settled her back against the couch. Feeling her cheeks burning up as her eyes took in the sight of him naked and gloriously boasting his arousal, her heartbeat thundered in her throat. He pressed his knees into the couch and snatched up her legs. He hitched her ankles to rest on his shoulders as he angled forward and plunged himself deep within her canal. 

Buffy uttered a deep wail of ecstasy as her entire body exploded with the wealth of heat blazing from his muscle. Her eyelids fluttered open and shut as Dean drove slowly within her pulsating apex. Her core muscles instinctively tightened, squeezing around his flesh. She heaved a deep moan as she gripped his hips and dug her nails into the skin. Her chest bellowed with staggered breaths as he pulled her ankles higher over his shoulders, pushing himself even deeper against the hilt. She jerked her head back as her eyes rolled to the back and wailed with pleasure. She gasped deeply with pleasant agony when she felt his index finger tickling the folds of flesh between her legs, delicately striking the bead of flesh at its center, matching the rhythm of his strokes within her sheath. 

She forced air through her lungs as her heart quaked painfully in her chest. She felt her ecstasy splashing through her, soaking the walls of her sheath as he increased his rhythm but not his force, mindful of the aggressive lovers she had in the past. She swept away any lingering glimpses of her past, completely enthralled by this new experience, this new man in her life. 

Her eyes fluttered open as her body grew feverish with each gentle pump he made inside her, with each dainty flick he made over her nub, with each intense gaze he rained upon her. She kept forcing air through her lungs as her pants grew more rapid, like a thirsty dog on a hot, humid day. She released another high moan as she felt perspiration caking her face. Her body arched forward violently. Dean curled his arm around her back, supporting her against him as she wailed for a long minute. He took her mouth in a hungry kiss as her body convulsed. When she sailed over her peak, Dean heaved a breath and let go. Buffy bellowed deep, ragged breaths as she felt the pool of his ecstasy swarming around the walls of her sheath. Her eyes flitted open to see the deep grimace on his face as he let out a low groan. As she continued to steady her breathing, Dean lurched forward and gently set her back against the couch. He clung tightly to her as he dealt with his own unstable breathing. 

“That was um.....different,” she remarked softly.

Dean inhaled a deep breath and blinked with concern. When he pulled back to gauge her expression, he took in her wide, goofy smile. He laughed softly as he caressed her hair and kissed her briefly before settling her down on the couch. Buffy snuggled up against him as her heart beat still blared in her ears. As her eyelids grew heavy from the euphoric bomb that had exploded through every part of her, she succumbed to her fatigue and drifted off for a bit.

A few minutes later, feeling another kind of hunger rumbling fiercely through him, Dean delicately unchained his arms and legs from a sleeping Buffy and settled onto his feet. He yanked his pants back on and quietly crept into the kitchen. He pried open the fridge door and looked over the contents. He picked out several plastic containers and after opening them, widened his eyes in glee. 

After searching through drawers to find a fork, he leaned against the island counter and dove into an assortment of goodies. When he polished off two containers he went back into the fridge and pillaged through it for more. He pried open a container and found an abundance of cheesy pasta. He picked out a plastic bag and examined the contents. His eyes widened with delight when he realized several dozen potato chips from earlier in the week were inside.

“Score,” he said softly with a silly smile. 

He plucked a few chips in his mouth and consciously chewed as quietly as he could. 

 

Almost a half later, Buffy roused awake and let out a deep yawn. When she rolled onto her side and noticed the empty space next to her, her eyes instinctively snapped open. After taking a moment to let her eyes adjust to the faint darkness, she sat up and looked around. The light from the fridge cut through the darkness as Dean strung an arm over the door and rummaged through the shelves. She drew a wide grin of amusement and shook her head before she got up and yanked her sweater on. She padded into the kitchen. 

“Gee, it’s a surprise to find you in here,” she teased.

Startled by the break in silence, Dean jumped before fumbling with the fridge door. He tapped it shut, tried to inconspicuously hide the huge bite of pasta he had shoved in his mouth. He drew a sheepish smile as he swallowed a large clump of food. 

“This is becoming a bad habit, isn’t it?”

Buffy drew a hand to her mouth and snickered softly. She eyed the assortment of empty plastic containers on the counter. 

“Well, at least my leftovers from the week won’t go bad now,” she replied. 

Buffy started collecting all the empty containers as Dean drew a guilty look. 

“Here, let me, I made the mess, I should clean it up.”

He took the containers from her and shuffled over to the sink. As he washed and rinsed out the containers, Buffy opened the freezer and yanked out a pint of ice cream. She fished out a spoon and pulled herself up on the island counter. 

Dean dried off his hands and swung around to see Buffy indulging in some ice cream. 

“Hey, I didn’t see that in the freezer,” he moaned.

Buffy cocked her head and drew a playful smile.

“Oh, that’s because I hid it behind an assortment of packaged frozen vegetables.”

Dean exaggerated an annoyed glare. 

“See? That is why I hate those things! They always try to steer you away from the good stuff!”

Buffy rumbled with laughter as he tucked himself between her legs. She continued to scoop out servings for herself, flashing him a taunting smile. 

“Are you going to share?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m suffering from a bad case of a sweet tooth right now, and since you devoured the handful of brownies I had left in the fridge, I’d say.........no OR, you could you know, arm wrestle me for it?”

Dean inhaled a breath in awe as her eyes sparked intensely with amusement. He took a small step back and raked his eyes over her.

“Oh, I could take you down before you even blink, NO problem,” he remarked with a blithe smile.

Buffy squeaked softly in her throat when she saw the hunger in his eyes flare up ten fold as he gazed deeply at her. He drew closer to her and dropped a hand on each of her bare legs, affectionately stroking her thighs. She heaved a breath as she scraped a large spoonful of ice cream. She let out a gasp when she felt the tips of his fingers settling into the crooks of her inner thighs. Her belly jerked from the heat of his touch as he locked onto her eyes. As he brushed his hands up and down her thigh, the fire in her loins ignited and begin rapidly flaming through her. 

She blinked several times in astonishment at how quickly her body throbbed with desire from just a single touch. She heaved a breath as Dean simply looked at her with those hungry eyes, caressing her legs for a long minute. She gulped as the spoonful of ice cream in her hand began to thaw. She tried to instruct her brain to either devour the scoop or dump it but the longer Dean stroked her thighs, the more rapid her mind grew numb. She was like putty in his hands but she didn’t care. After the blissful insanity her mind and body had experienced the previous weekend, she silently acknowledged that she wanted to be putty, she wanted to be goo, she wanted to be mush; she wanted to swim in whatever sensations he coaxed out of her. 

When she felt something rolling down her thigh, she shook herself out of her daze. She heaved a gasp as Dean took her hand and polished off the thawing heap of ice cream on the spoon. Her eyes drifted down to her right leg where a stream of ice cream had slivered off the spoon. She drew a soundless gasp when she looked up at Dean and saw the bright sparks in his eyes.

Dean caught her mouth and plunged his tongue deep inside in a kiss so fiery she nearly saw the smoke blowing out of her ears. She heaved a huge breath through her teeth as the kiss lingered on for a minute. After he inched away from her, she gasped for breath and noticed the intense glow in his eyes. He cupped her face with his hands and picked away a stray tendril flowing over her eyes.

“There’s something I want to do,” he confessed softly. “But if you’re not comfortable, just tell me and I’ll stop, okay? Don’t ever feel like you can’t talk to me.”

Buffy heaved a huge breath as her body prickled with anticipation. She slowly nodded as he drew her mouth in another hot, wet kiss that made her lower body ache painfully. When he parted from her mouth, he tugged off her sweater and swiftly unhooked her bra. He drew a silly smile as he pulled the bra off her arms.

“Free at last!” he said in a high pitched tone. 

Buffy giggled until the glow in his eyes deepened. Her body shuddered with desire as she sat on the island counter completely exposed and vulnerable. She clutched him as he kissed her hard and deeply for a long second. She heaved several gasps for air after he pulled away. He swept up the pint of ice cream and poured out some of the melted dairy treat over her legs, sprinkling a few more drops down her neck. He watched the stream of ice cream roll down between her breasts. 

Buffy gulped when she saw her body being dosed with ice cream. She squeaked softly in her throat again as her mind rippled with curiosity. Dean took her hands and threaded his fingers with hers when he saw the mild apprehension flaring in her eyes. 

“Are you uncomfortable? Tell me what’s on your mind?”

Buffy heaved out a hot breath. 

“Um, well, I’m......sticky with....ice cream.”

After seeing the twinkle in her eyes, he flashed a casual look.

“I did make a mess, so, I should clean it up......”

Buffy squeaked loudly and her cheeks flushed a bright red when the hunger in his eyes thickened. 

“As long as you’re comfortable,” he assured. “I’m serious. I’ll stop if you’re not.”

She sucked in several breaths as her heartbeat pounded in her throat, partially from her intense curiosity about what delicious torture he had in store for her but primarily from the wealth of respect and concern he rained upon her.

Buffy sucked in another breath as curled her hands around his neck and planted a kiss of appreciation on his mouth. When she parted from him, she raked a hand through his hair and smiled.

“I’m comfortable,” she affirmed softly. 

After exchanging another passionate kiss, Dean pulled from her mouth and gingerly slipped his hand under ankle. He planted a trail of wet kisses from her ankle, up and around her knee and then traced small circles along the inner flesh of her thigh with his tongue. 

Buffy felt the sharp jerk of her belly as Dean rolled his tongue along the inside of her thigh. She heaved a loud gasp as her arousal thickened between her legs with each delicious lap of heat on her skin. She heaved another sharp breath as Dean worked his way over the top of her thigh and lapped up the ice cream trail along her abdomen. 

Buffy panted several breaths as her mind stabbed with that wonderful euphoria. Her eyes fluttered shut as Dean licked up the ice cream river between her breasts. She let out a low moan when he took her breast in his mouth and suckled on the firm flesh of her nipple. Each little flick was like a knife of pleasant agony slicing through her brain, severing open the walls of goo. She panted several more breaths as her heart beat pumped furiously behind her ribcage. 

After what seemed like an eternity of joyous torture, Buffy gasped for air as Dean pulled his mouth off her breast. He moved up her collarbone, chewing very gingerly on the flesh before sliding up to her mouth and kissing her for several long moments. When he finally broke away, he gently settled her back against the island counter and widened her legs. 

She heaved a huge breath as Dean lapped his tongue around her belly button, moved to her hip bone and then to the upper most part of her inner thigh. She sucked in several breaths when she felt his hair tickling her legs as he washed away drops of runaway ice cream with his tongue. Her chest bellowed rapidly the closer he veered to the center of her body. 

Buffy stamped her rapidly fluttering eyelids shut as she felt that feverish sensation blanketing over her entire body when he pushed his tongue higher, past the tip of her inner thigh, brushing very delicately over the folds of her apex. She released a deep moan while her mind was paralyzed by the bombardment of euphoria that scorched from the center of her body as Dean slowly drove his tongue deeper between the fleshy folds.

Dean bit back the extreme excitement coiling through him when he tasted the thick, hot pool of her arousal blasting around his tongue. He felt her body rippling continuously with ecstasy as he washed his tongue around the walls of her sheath for a time. As she cried out deeply, her legs thrashed against his ears. She panted furiously the longer and deeper he explored her, gradually letting out a staggered howl. 

Buffy gasped desperately for breath as the joyous agony was almost too much yet she didn’t want it to end. She squeaked loudly when she felt his teeth gently sinking around the folds of her flesh as his tongue slipped back inside the tunnel between her legs. She roared for a long minute, her body twisting vigorously as wave after wave of ecstasy slammed through her. Her eyes thickened with moisture, her skin blistered with heat, her insides boiled to molten goo, her mind stabbed with numbness and a high far beyond the next galaxy. She had heard gossip from her college friends about the wonders of oral satisfaction but the image of a guy sloppily devouring a girl like she was a piece of meat had never really appealed to her.......until now. 

MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Buffy heaved a breath before the next wave blew through her. She released a low roar as she gripped the edge of the counter tightly. Her eyes thickened with moisture as her body convulsed with intense euphoria. She pitched her head forward and howled for a long minute before she collapsed back. As her mind drew blanks to those simple questions, Dean hitched his mouth off her tender fleshy palace and snaked his hands over her body. Her eyes slowly drifted open as she heaved several breaths to try and settle her ragged breaths. 

Dean heaved a deep breath as he felt her skin burning with desire. He gently yanked her back up into a sitting position before tugging his jeans off. 

Buffy squeaked softly as he tucked his body between her legs. He caressed her face before slowly plunging inside her. She let out a deep moan as the first set of strokes were harder than she was used to but the slickness in her canal absorbed any discomfort she may have felt. She heaved a breath as he burst sharply forward a few more times. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he clutched her and kissed her hard. Her body rocked with electricity the longer he pumped into her. She felt the walls of her sheath burning up with pleasure as she moaned through her teeth. She drove her nails deep into the grooves of his shoulder blades as her mind purred. 

Dean opened his eyes and took notice of the glassiness in hers. Her mouth curled open and released another moan of pleasure as her eyes drifted to the back of her head. He felt the heels of her feet digging into the small of his back as he drove into her with a little more force. When her eyes sparked with approval, he clenched down on his jaw and stamped back the ecstasy flooding around the gates. He held her tightly against him as her body bellowed with each long and hard drive. His ears prickled with each of her cries growing louder and longer. When she wailed for a very long minute, Dean released a breath and pitched his ecstasy. 

Buffy heaved another hot breath when she felt a sharp burst flooding through her. She gasped desperately for air as she clung to Dean, resting her head against his shoulder. He brushed his hand over her hair as she felt his rapid heart beat vibrating through her body. After a minute of settling their breathing, Buffy hitched her head up and looked at Dean. He drew a smile as he raked her hair.

“How you feeling now?”

Buffy felt the rush of heat in her cheeks as her mouth turned into a goofy grin.

“Tingly,” she said softly. 

 

After another fridge raid, Buffy led Dean upstairs and showed him the upper level of her house until she reached her bedroom. Dean eyed the pink satin covers with brown pillows, the dark brown furniture and the assortment of pink accessories. Buffy drifted out of her master bath with a small basket. She picked through the items.

“Okay I’ve got plenty of toothbrushes, couple boxes of floss, mouthwash, a shower cap, bars of soap, shampoo....”

Dean fished out a bar of soap and looked at the logo.

“Did you steal all that from the hotel?”

Buffy balked with an innocent look. 

“No, the hotel LEFT them for me since I paid for the room.”

“Oh, is that what you tell your guilty conscience?”

Dean chuckled as Buffy set the basket down on a bedside table. She glanced at the clock as Dean settled on the bed and played with the fringed edges of her decorative brown pillow. 

“So, um, what time do you need to go tomorrow? I usually get up around six-thirty but I can set the alarm earlier if I need to.”

“Six-thirty is fine. Bobby isn’t stopping by until a quarter after seven to pick up Sammy’s book bag.”

As his mind filtered back with rated G thoughts, he drifted onto a pressing question Sammy had brought up earlier in the day. 

“That reminds me.”

He scooted off the bed and collected his jacket off a plush chair. He rummaged into a pocket as Buffy drifted over with curiosity.

“Sammy asked me to help him with a school project but it’s science of all things and it requires a creative mind, so I’m Oh for two.”

“Oh? Well, what does he have to do?”

“He has to make a solar system without using any of the items on this list.”

Dean unfolded the sheet and showed it to Buffy. 

“Oh. Wow. So all the traditional items you would use are not allowed.”

“Yeah, it seems kind of ridiculous; then again, I hated school. Anyway, I was wondering if you had any ideas I could ‘borrow’ since you’re the expert on crafts.”

Buffy reviewed the list as she settled down on the edge of the bed. 

“Well, not at the moment but I’ll see what I can come up with, can I hang onto this for a few days?”

“Yeah, sure, it’s not due for a few weeks anyway.”

Buffy set the sheet by her bedside table as Dean settled next to her. He rolled on to his side and propped his elbow on a pillow, resting his head in his hand.

“So, what do you want to do now?” he asked with a smile.

Buffy heaved a gasp when those hungry eyes flared up brightly. 

“Um, I usually get ready for bed about now.”

He raked his eyes over her sweater and bare legs and smiled.

“I think you pretty much are,” he teased.

Buffy blew out a breath when the hunger in his eyes thickened. She squeaked softly when he started stroking her leg playfully.

“Oh um...I have a pretty busy day tomorrow and I....”

She squeaked softly when she felt a sharp pang of pleasure flaring through her leg from his touch. She inhaled a deeper breath and mentally repeated the following phrase to herself, I need to walk tomorrow, I need to walk tomorrow, I need.....

Buffy heaved another breath when she caught the mesmerizing sparkle in his eyes as he tapped a few fingers over her leg. Dean noticed that fearful look in her eyes and chuckled for a minute. 

“Yeah, okay, we should call it a night,” he conceded. 

Buffy blew out another breath as Dean rolled off the bed and rummaged through the basket of items. After they brushed their teeth, Dean hopped back onto the bed. Buffy poked her head out of the bathroom and leaned on the door.

“Um, do you mind if I take a quick shower?”

She gulped when the hunger in his eyes still burned brightly. He drew a pleasant smile.

“Not at all,” he said.

“Will you um....stay out here?”

After a brief moment of assessing her skittish expression, Dean blinked and rumbled with amusement. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure.”

Buffy blew out a short breath and shined an apologetic look. She shifted in her stance.

“It’s not that I um...don’t want to....it’s just.....well, I’m....”

“No need to explain. It’s fine,” he assured. “Don’t want to reveal all my tricks right off the bat anyway.”

Buffy sucked in a breath when her lower body assailed her with excitement when she absorbed his enticing statement. 

“Um, I won’t be too long,” she said. “The remote for the TV is in that drawer.”

“Take your time,” he said with another sexy smile.

She smiled back at him before shutting the door. After turning the shower on and letting the water run for a bit, she heaved a breath. 

“Oh boy,” she gasped softly.

 

When Buffy emerged from the bathroom in her sleepwear, Dean was watching a late night program. He shifted his eyes away from the set and smiled at her snug cotton pajama bottoms and faded Hemery High crop shirt. 

“Cute,” he said.

She edged toward the bed and eyed his state of undress. Most of his clothes were on the floor and she wondered what was in store for her under those covers. When she got into bed and slipped under the sheets, she was relieved to find he hadn’t completely undressed, although his blaring arousal was still strong and pressing against her leg after he drew her into his arms. She beamed a contented smile up at him as he reached over her and snapped off the lamp on her bedside table before switching off the television. He pulled her deeper down into the covers, held her closely to her body and caressed her hair for awhile. As she marveled in the glow of his eyes, she snuggled closer within the frame of his arms and smiled. She gave him a short, sweet kiss goodnight before drifting off to sleep, knowing that when she roused the next morning, he would be there.


	10. My Lady of the Morning

Early the next morning, the alarm clock radio snapped on and Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time after Time’ played softly, disrupting the blissful silence. Buffy heaved a contented sigh when she felt a strong arm draped over her waist. She rolled onto her other side, facing Dean and nestled her head in the crook of his shoulder, rousing him from his sleep. She drew a dreamy smile and watched his eyes slowly flutter open and shut. He let out a groan as his eyes opened completely. He grimaced deeply. 

“Oh, oh god what is this horrible, horrible music,” he moaned.

Buffy giggled as she took in the sheer disgust on his face. 

“Hey, this happens to be a classic,” she said.

Dean exaggerated an offended look as he pulled her closer to his body.

“Are you kidding me? This is NOT a classic,” he protested. “‘Bad Moon Rising’, ‘Stairway to Heaven’ THOSE are classics, not whatever music you consider this of which I have aptly named at this moment, ‘songs that make my ears bleed profusely.”

Buffy hitched her head back and rumbled with amusement for a long minute. Dean caught his breath as he absorbed her endearing smile. When she settled down, he brushed a hand over her hair and marveled in the sparkle of her eyes.

“Wow, you look so amazing....well, you always do but the mornings – fantastic,” he exalted softly. “I am really liking these sleepovers.”

Buffy heaved a gasp when she caught the deep flare in his eyes as he gazed at her. Her cheeks flushed as she drew a shy smile. 

“I like them too,” she conceded. 

After a minute of basking in each other’s company, Dean shifted out of his smile and flashed a grimace. He reached behind him and snapped off the clock radio. Buffy mocked a disappointed mope.

“Aw, that was my prom song.”

Dean blinked with surprise. “You had a ‘Prom’ song?”

“Yeah, we got to put in requests and this was what I picked. I’m guessing a rebel like you didn’t go?”

“Of course not,” he groaned. “School dances were lame first of all and secondly, it was very rare when I actually attended classes for me to be eligible to go to a pinnacle of lame things.”

He chuckled for a minute as she swept a finger over his cheek.

“And now look at you – you actually TEACH class,” she pointed with an amused smile.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘teaching’, my style is more of a ‘watch, learn and have fun’ type of thing.”

Buffy widened her eyes. “Wow, I SO would have taken your class for an easy ‘A’ then.”

She snickered as he mocked a stern expression.

“Easy ‘A’ huh? I’m not THAT easy,” he said teasingly. “There’s no breezing through auto shop, there’s a lot more involved you know.”

“Oh, so being a cute girl who would bring you apples every day for class....or rather apple PIE tarts to class wouldn’t have any bearing on my grade?”

“Well, if I were one of those teachers that practiced favoritism and accepted bribes then yeah, you’d so get an ‘A’.”

“But you’re a fair guy?” she said, snuggling against him.

“I’d like to think so, I mean, if you know your stuff it’s an easy pass but if you can’t tell the difference between a muffler and an air filter you’re in trouble, you’re better off taking P.E. or something.”

“You know, I always had a problem with the whole boy specific thing about auto and wood shop, I mean, just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I don’t have the ability to learn and stereotyping classes like that inhibits a person’s potential. Who says I want take Home Ec and Art just because I wear a skirt?”

Dean blinked in awe as he inhaled a breath. 

“If you went to my school, I probably would have gone a lot more, though, you would have been too smart for my tastes,” he remarked.

“Oh, I wouldn’t have given you a second glance,” she joked.

He chuckled as she mocked a stuck up look.

“Why is that?”

“I didn’t like the jocks OR the skirt chasers,” she noted. “I was looking for you know a nice guy who would study with me.”

“Oh, those are called.....NERDS,” he cracked.

Dean roared with laughter for a minute as she shook her head. She smiled with great affection as his laughter died down. She let out a soft sigh as her eyes glanced at the clock.

“I’ve got to get ready for work soon,” she said.

Dean blew out a sigh. “Oh, right, WORK, for a minute I felt like I was back in high school making fun of Underpants Head.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, you know, the kid in school who always got his underwear pulled over his head by jocks,” he remarked before bursting into laughter. 

Buffy opened her mouth and shook her head.

“They’re people too you know,” she pointed.

“Oh, sorry, did you DATE Underpants Head?”

Dean pulled away from her and threw his head back into the pillow, ripping with a wave of laughter. Buffy watched him for a long minute before she snorted with her own amusement. Her punctual instinct kicked in and she found herself rolling over and throwing the covers off her body. 

After he settled down, Dean admired Buffy as she shuffled toward the bathroom. She yanked a fresh towel out from a cabinet.

“Are you sure you want to go to work today? It is Friday and if you didn’t feel like going in, I won’t either and we could just stay in.”

Buffy gulped as her cheeks went hot when she saw that same hungry sparkle in his eyes. She shifted her legs when she felt her lower body tingling.

“I um, I have a lot of meetings today and I haven’t really been working there too long so, um, I wouldn’t feel all that comfortable taking time off to.....play.”

He drew a teasing smile. “I bet you never ditched one day in school, did you?”

“Um, not really.”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing we never did go to the same school because I would have corrupted you.”

Buffy heaved a breath as the dip in his smile sent a wave of heat through her body. She cranked the shower spout on and looked back at him.

“Did you want to shower first since you have to take off soon?”

“I’ll catch a quick one when I get home, but thanks.”

Buffy absorbed that amazing smile before she propped the door shut and got in the shower.

 

A little while later, Buffy emerged from the bathroom and caught Dean just as he was slipping his shirt back on. She towel dried her hair as he met her eyes. 

“Can I?”

He nodded toward the bathroom. She nodded and stepped aside. 

“Thanks.”

After dressing, Buffy ambled down the stairs and fished out some food products. By the time Dean found her in the kitchen, she had brewed a pot of coffee and was wrapping something up in a piece of foil. 

“I made you a bite to eat in case you’re in a rush this morning,” she said.

She handed him an egg sandwich wrapped in foil. He widened his eyes as he inhaled a delicious aroma.

“An EggMcMuffin,” she said. “But without the Mc part.”

Dean took a bite and moaned. “And without the two dollars taken from my wallet, GOD that is good, what’s in here?”

“Egg, cheddar cheese and Canadian bacon.”

“Well, that’s a pretty tasty Canadian,” he cracked.

Buffy giggled as he inhaled the sandwich in three bites, then displayed a look of disappointment.

“I really need to learn to enjoy the food you make instead of savagely devouring it.”

“I made an extra,” she said, revealing another foil wrapped sandwich. 

Dean widened his eyes in delight as he snatched the sandwich up and flashed a silly grin.

“Wow, thanks,” he said. 

Buffy picked up the coffee canister. 

“Coffee?”

Dean glanced at his watch as ‘Renegade’ blasted through the air. He fished out his phone and gave an apologetic smile. Buffy poured him a quick cup as he answered the phone.

“Hey Bobby.....yeah, I’m up......”

Dean glanced at his watch again. 

“Fifteen minutes?”

He sighed deeply before smiling appreciatively as Buffy handed him the coffee mug.

“Okay, I’ll see you then....thanks, bye.”

Dean clicked off his phone and heaved a sigh before enjoying a sip of coffee.

“I hate having to eat and run,” he moaned. “I hate.....leaving and going back to the real world of responsibilities.”

Buffy drew a shy smile as she sipped her coffee. 

“We all have to go back some time but yeah, I um, I had a really nice evening with your family and with the um...the other stuff.”

Dean faked an innocent look. 

“What ‘other’ stuff?”

Buffy gulped as she averted her eyes. Dean chuckled as he crooked a finger under her chin.

“Guess I broke your bad streak huh? That’s good because I never was one to follow trends anyway.”

He chuckled again as he finished off his coffee. 

“So next week is Thanksgiving, are you and Sammy going over to Ellen’s? I’m having a small shindig with Oz and Willow and Jenny and Giles are stopping by too so, you’re welcome to come over if you want. Everyone’s coming by around four-ish.”

Dean set his mug down and curled an arm around Buffy. 

“Yeah I want,” he professed. “Ellen’s thing is at one so if I play my cards right, I can have lunch and...‘slunch’.”

She looked up at him with wide curiosity. 

“What’s slunch?”

“Second lunch.”

Buffy blinked before she giggled deeply. 

“Who says you’re not creative,” she said.

Dean cocked his head as he tucked her in his arms.

“Or I’m just lazy and decided to squish the two words together.”

After she finished laughing, he caught her mouth in a long kiss, folding her tighter within his arms. Buffy let out a soft moan as the kiss deepened and lingered until Poison’s “Nothing but a Good Time” snapped the dreamy silence. Buffy felt Dean heave a deep sigh as he pulled away from her mouth and cradled her face.

“Guess I can’t get away from the real world anymore,” he lamented. 

As his gaze deepened, the ringtone stopped blaring. A second later, it picked back up again. Dean stamped his eyes shut and groaned before he fished out his phone.

“Sorry,” he replied.

“Go ahead and answer it. I need to finish getting ready too,” she said with a sweet smile.

He smiled back before he sighed and answered his phone.

“Hey Richie.”

She cupped his arm before topping off her coffee and drifting upstairs. A few minutes later, as she finished applying her makeup, Dean poked his head into the bedroom. He perched in the doorway of the bathroom as she took a quick study in the mirror.

“You really don’t need makeup,” he remarked. “You’ve got that rare natural beauty that most women don’t have.”

Buffy cocked her head and drew a teasing smile. “Is that one of your best lines?”

Dean took pause for a second before he flashed a teasing smile.

“Depends, are you buying it?” he asked before laughing. 

She drew an amused smile as she stamped the light out in the bathroom and shuffled over to him. She eyed the clock before he tucked her in his arms and planted a soft kiss on her mouth. When he pulled away he raked a hand through her locks and smiled.

“So, when am I going to see you again?” he asked. “You didn’t make plans with Underpants Head this weekend, did you?”

As he burst into another fit of laughter, Buffy simply shook her head in amusement. After he settled down, she inhaled a breath as he rained that amazing smile over her.

“I’m helping Willow with a decorating project for her office this weekend. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take but she has all the supplies and an idea of what she wants to do so um, I can call you when I’m free.”

He curled her deeper within his arms and inhaled the sweet aroma of her shampoo. Buffy let out a soft moan of contentment as he kissed her tenderly for a long minute. Her heart fluttered rapidly as her feet began to soften into the floor. She clutched tighter to him and let out a breath when he took the kiss deeper. She moaned softly again and basked in the amazing feeling soaring through her. After another minute, the joyful silence was broken by the ringtone ‘Stairway to Heaven’. Dean blinked in surprise as he edged away from Buffy.

“Wow, I uh, I rarely hear that on my phone,” he remarked. 

As he fished out his phone, she looked on curiously.

“Hey Cass, what’s going on?”

Buffy eyed the time and gently tugged him out of the bedroom. When she drew her hand from his arm, Dean snatched it back up as they drifted down the stairs. His eyes widened as he cradled the phone to his ear.

“She’s not feeling well?..........No, no, it’s fine.....yeah I know we’re going to be busy but you need to take care of her, that’s your job man so don’t worry about it, I’d much rather cover for you than Richie anyway....it’s just a couple days off Cass, don’t beat yourself up, you’ve got plenty of vacation and sick days racked up......”

Dean heaved a sigh as he lingered in the foyer with Buffy. She glanced down as he still kept his hand latched onto hers. 

“Cass, seriously, it’s okay, you haven’t taken more than three days off in the past.....three years so don’t feel guilty, really.....no problem, you just take care of her and let me know if you need anything from me.......I’ll talk to you later.....uh, thanks, god bless you too.....”

Dean blew out a breath as he shook his head in amazement and pocketed his cell phone. 

“That’s the most I’ve ever heard him say in the past five years I’ve known him. I felt like I was a priest in confession. The guy feels so guilty when he’s a minute late coming back from his lunch hour.”

He chuckled briefly as Buffy flashed him a look of recognition.

“Stairway to Heaven is Cass’ ringtone? That’s pretty fitting, did you pick that?”

Dean stopped laughing when he was completely taken aback by her comment.

“Yeah and HOLY COW,” he exalted. 

He drew in a deep breath and gazed at her in awe. 

“What?” she asked as she giggled at his expression.

“I thought the whole Bad Company thing was just a stroke of luck but now.....you know one of the greatest songs EVER by one of the greatest bands ever,” he marveled.

Buffy shrugged casually. “My dad used to sing it in his church group a lot; he learned to sing it in a couple different languages for his job too.”

Dean widened his eyes and smiled admirably.

“Well then your dad is AWESOME in my book,” he cheered. “Then again, you’re a product of him so.....I shouldn’t be surprised.”

He yanked her into his arms and kissed her with deep affection until ‘Renegade’ blared in the air. He heaved a sigh as he pulled away from Buffy. She gave an understanding look as she tugged the door open. 

“Hey Bobby....okay, I’ll see you shortly, bye.”

Dean reluctantly stepped out onto the porch as he pocketed his phone. After absorbing the sparkle in her eyes and the affectionate expression on her face, he snatched up her hands and pulled her close.

“Have a good day at work,” she said. 

“Thanks but does that mean you’re not going to call and wish me well later?”

He showed a flare of disappointment in his eyes.

“You want me too?”

“To be honest, I uh....I look forward to it, it’s a stress reliever so to speak and with Cass out the next couple of days that leaves me with the Clown Brothers to deal with so, yeah, it’d be nice to hear the voice of sanity.”

Buffy giggled as she pushed herself off her toes and kissed the corner of his mouth.

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later then.”

“Okay, good.” 

“You better go, you don’t want to keep Bobby or Sammy waiting.”

“You’re the voice of reason and maturity too,” he cracked before laughing. 

As he back-walked off the porch, he soaked in the sight of her smile as she stood in the doorway. He sucked in a breath as his rapidly beating heart began to dissipate after he got in his car and drove away. By the time he got home, the lighter than air feeling had sunk and he heaved a sigh as the real world quickly drowned him.

 

Buffy drifted into the teacher’s lounge and noticed the entire faculty gathered around. She caught Willow’s eyes and ambled over. 

“What’s going on? I didn’t see a meeting on the calendar today.”

“Giles just called an emergency one,” Willow imparted.

Buffy furrowed her brows in concern. “Oh, sounds bad.”

“We’re all chomping at the bit to find out what’s going on. Giles has been holed up in his office waiting for everyone to get in.”

A few minutes later, Giles walked into the lounge, looking deeply distressed. 

“Thank you all for gathering here at my last minute request,” he started. “I will not delay your schedules any longer.”

Giles leaned on the edge of a secretary’s desk as the faculty listened intently.

“I am saddened to announce that one of our faculty members, Mister Daniel Elkins suffered a very severe heart attack last night at his home.”

Many of the faculty gasped or shared collective looks of shock. 

“He has been hospitalized and is resting but the doctor has recommended that he not return to work due to his heart condition. After much protest, Mister Elkins will be retiring at his family’s urges.”

Soft chatter rippled through the lounge as Giles continued.

“For those of you who would like to send your sympathies, I have the hospital room information in my office. If there are no questions, that is all.”

Giles looked around as no one brought up any questions. 

“Thank you all,” he said.

He quickly ambled out of the lounge as the faculty slowly dispersed off to their classes. Willow shadowed Buffy as she poured a quick cup of coffee.

“Oh gosh, Coach Elkins has been with the school for over twenty-five years,” Willow moaned. “He always said he would never retire. I hope he makes a speedy recovery.”

“Me too, even though I never got the chance to meet him,” Buffy remarked as she drifted into the hall.

“I wonder who they’ll get to replace him,” Willow replied. “We haven’t had much luck in luring out of state faculty, well, other than you. Plus, our football team is notoriously um.......well....”

“Bad?”

Willow gulped. “Yes, I hate being negative but it’s been a long time since we’ve made it to a playoff.”

Buffy smiled at Willow’s passionate expression.

“I didn’t realize you were into sports.”

“Oh, I’m not really but you’ve seen our town, other than the festivals not much excitement happens. OH! Before I forget, which I just did until a few minutes ago, there’s a new yoga session starting up on Monday. I’ve been wanting to try it for months but the instructor is so popular that classes get booked up so quickly. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me, it’s at five-thirty.”

Buffy paused outside her door.

“Yoga? Gosh, I haven’t done that in ages, not since college but I did like it a lot.”

“So you’ll go?”

“Yeah, sounds like fun.”

Willow widened her eyes and blew out a breath. “Oh good, because um, I sort of already put our names on a waiting list to better our chances of getting in on the next session, so um, I hope you’re not mad.”

Buffy waved a hand dismissively. 

“Nah, it’s fine.”

“Oh, I’m so excited!” Willow gasped. 

Buffy eyed the time. 

“I’ve got a meeting, but lunch later?”

Willow nodded. “I want to hear all about the dinner with Dean’s family.”

Willow widened her eyes as Buffy shot a beet red.

“Oh, I’m guessing it went really well?”

Buffy heaved a gulp as her mind wandered back into the previous night. 

“Um, yeah, really well,” she affirmed.

Willow fanned her face as she bounced excitedly in her stance.

“Ohhhhh!” she cooed. “You really like him don’t you?”

Buffy leaned in the doorway and widened her silly smile.

“Yeah, I do, he’s really a great guy Will in so many aspects.....sometimes I wonder if he’s real or if I you know, imagined him.”

Willow fanned her face furiously. “OH GOSH! That is so, so sweet. See, I just knew you two would be great together!”

When the phone line rang in Buffy’s office, Willow waved to her before running off to class. Buffy let out a sigh as she settled back down to earth. 

 

Dean whistled softly as he ambled into the garage a few minutes before business hours. Caleb and Richie eyed him as he nodded to them in acknowledgment and pushed through the side door leading to his office. As he neared his office, his eyes narrowed on something taped over his nametag on the door. He perched at the edge of the door and shook his head when he saw what was scrawled in black marker on the tape: Dean “Sweetie” Winchester.

He heaved a huge sigh and started to peel off the strip of tape when he heard a roar of laughter behind him. He swung around as he crumbled the tape into a ball. He frowned deeply at Caleb and Richie hanging by the side entrance. 

“Funny,” he barked. “Stop defacing my office and messing around, we’ve got a boatload of business headed our way with the holiday around the corner so please guys, just do your jobs.”

Richie patted Dean on the shoulder. 

“Sure thing, SWEETIE.”

Richie roared with laughter as he and Caleb retreated to the garage. Dean simply shook his head.

“Those two are hopeless,” he sighed.

 

After a weekend of chores, errands and much desired quality time with Sammy, Dean had been so distracted from the inherent thought that lingered beneath the surface of his mind until he picked up his house phone late Sunday afternoon.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Buffy.”

His heart beat skyrocketed at the soft lilt in that sweet voice. He drew a wide smile picturing the sparkle in her eyes and the cute curves of her mouth that appeared whenever she looked at him affectionately.

“Is this a good time?”

“It’s always a good time when it’s you,” he said.

Buffy snickered softly in the background. 

“Well, I just wanted to let you know that I’m still at Will’s in heavy decorating and girl gabbing mode. To be honest, we’ve kind of been gabbing more than decorating so we’re trying to catch up before the weekend gets away from us. So I really don’t know when we’re going to be done here.”

Dean blew out a heavy sigh of disappointment but soon brushed it off when he heard Willow’s excitable chatter in the background along with some more horrible music, followed by Buffy’s wonderful, infectious giggle. 

“It sounds like you’re having fun,” he commented. 

Buffy finished giggling and came back on the line. 

“Yeah, Will’s got a whole collection of that ear bleeding music she’s been playing all weekend long.”

“Yeah, I can hear it so picture me grimacing deeply.”

Buffy giggled in the phone making his heart beat soar in pace even more. 

“Anyway, I didn’t want more time to get away from me before I called you.”

“Thanks and no worries, you have fun and make sure you have lots of cotton to dab those bleeding ears.”

She tagged onto the end of his amused laughter before chatting briefly with him about his weekend. A few minutes later, Dean heaved another sigh of disappointment when she had to hang up. He wandered into the living room where Sammy looked up with a toothy smile, clutching a rag.

“I finished daddy,” he said.

Dean looked over the coffee table that Sammy wanted to help dust. 

“Wow Sammy, you did a better job than me,” he said. “You’re the best helper ever.”

Sammy widened his toothy smile as Dean took the rag from him.

“Boring stuff is done, now on to the fun,” he said. “Which of these movies did you want to watch?”

Sammy fished out a rental about the Wild Animal kingdom.

“This one,” he said. “Can we have pizza for dinner too?”

“The pizza from last night? Yeah, I can heat it up.”

Sammy shook his head. 

“Different pizza.”

“Different pizza? You mean from somewhere else or with different stuff on it?”

“Auntie Ellen makes spinach pizza for me daddy, can we have spinach pizza?”

Dean gulped down his disgust. “Uh....YOU can eat all the spinach pizza you want Sammy and I’ll just settle for the leftovers in the fridge. Okay?”

“Okay, thanks daddy.”

 

Monday morning, as expected, Dean saw a stack of cars sitting idle in the auto shop parking lot waiting for business hours to begin. He quickly dropped off his jacket and bag and started setting up the work stations as Caleb and Richie rolled in. He was grateful that instead of lounging around for fifteen minutes as they usually did before getting to work; they took notice of the line of cars waiting for service. 

Dean snapped on the radio, snatched up his clipboard and ambled over to the first car nearest his station. A few hours later, as he completed a standard tune-up, his fifth one of the day, he eyed Caleb and Richie working diligently. He wiped his greasy hands and took an assessment under the hood as a song by Styx began to play in the garage. He started screwing off a cap as the music filled his ears. 

_Lady when I'm with you I'm smiling  
Give me all your love  
Your hands build me up when I'm sinking  
Touch me and my troubles all fade_

Dean heaved a breath of exhaustion and wiped a coat of sweat from his face. 

_Lady from the moment I saw you standing all alone  
You gave all the love that I needed_

Dean paused in his action as a pair of sparkling hazel eyes flashed through his mind. He blinked in reflection when his mind lingered on the memory of seeing Buffy for the first time, stranded on the side of the road.

_So shy like a child who had grown  
You're my  
Lady of the morning_

Dean felt his mind drifting deeper into a daze as the song echoed through the garage.

_Love shines in your eyes  
Sparkling, clear and lovely  
You're my lady_

Dean heaved a breath as those hazel eyes sparkled brightly in his mind. Hazel eyes belonging to a beautiful, sweet, amazing lady.....his lady? Is that what she was? Well, she was definitely a lady, a fine lady with impeccable manners and looks, a lady he had struck gold in meeting that fateful day but....was she his lady? 

_Lady turn me on when I'm lonely  
Show me all your charms  
Evenings when you lay down beside me  
Take me gently into your arms_

Dean sucked in a breath as his curiosity and the poignant lyrics rippled through his mind. 

_You're my  
Lady of the morning  
Love shines in your eyes_

Dean sucked in another breath as the song shimmered through his heart. Buffy Anne Summers was his lady of the morning in the most physical respect but was she his lady in every other one? He had no idea. This dating thing was so foreign, so new to him that he was almost crippled with wonder. When did a girl become more than just someone you dated, was he supposed to ask her to be his lady and only his or was she already? She had expressed her interest in him even after he had shared the darkest parts of his past. She hadn’t run away or toward any other guy, not that she was that type of girl, despite teasing her about the idea. He scratched his head with the back of his hand as his curiosity peaked. 

As he got lost in his abundance of philosophical thoughts, Dean barely registered the hand waving in front of his face. He blinked several times, stirring himself out of his daze. Richie wandered over to his station and eyed him curiously.

“What’s up?” Dean asked.

“Did you not see me flagging you?”

“Uh, guess not, you need something?”

“Are these the last of the spark plugs man? I only saw one box left on the shelf.”

Richie flashed the minimal supply in the cardboard box. Dean wiped his greasy hands and eyed the box.

“I hope not or we’re in trouble,” he remarked. “There’s a bunch of boxes in the back that I haven’t logged in so let me take a look.”

Dean tossed his greasy rag aside and shuffled into the storage room as “Lady” by Styx echoed in his mind. 

 

Later in the afternoon, Buffy blinked in surprise when she noticed the time Dean had called and left a voicemail while she was in a meeting. She dialed him back and after someone answered, she was put on hold for a minute.

Dean picked up the line in the storage room as he yanked supplies out from boxes. 

“This is Dean,” he said automatically as he logged in the parts from the box.

“Hey you, what are you doing still working? It’s after three.”

Dean lit up with a smile and spooled out the cord from the phone so he could move around a shelf. 

“I know but I’ve extended business hours for the upcoming holiday and with my workhorse Cass out for the remainder of the week, I’ve been swamped.”

“Oh, so is Sammy with Ellen?”

“Yeah, she was happy to take him for a couple afternoons until we close on Wednesday and he was thrilled to go back to play with ‘his’ dog.”

“Aw, he likes Rumsfeld, maybe you should get him a puppy.”

“Funny you say that, he keeps asking me for one, anyway, do you have dinner plans tonight? I didn’t have much of a lunch so I’m hankering for a meal at Sue’s. I was planning on taking a break around six or so but if you don’t want to drive back we can meet when you’re off of work.”

Buffy eyed the time as she clicked through her emails.

“Oh, um, I’m actually going to a yoga class with Will after work, it’s at five-thirty but it’s downtown near Sue’s so if you want to meet me outside the studio or I can walk over to Sue’s about six-thirtyish.”

Dean nearly dropped a boxful of air filters when his mind sputtered over the word yoga and an assortment of male oriented thoughts. 

“Yoga?”

Buffy giggled when she gauged the excitement in his tone. 

“Yeah, you want to go?”

Dean shifted in his stance as his body tightened from the sprout of dazzling thoughts in his mind. He blinked after her teasing question registered.

“What? Oh, uh, I’ll pass, I’ll leave the ‘bendiness’ learning to you and I’ll just reap the benefits later,” he cracked. 

He chuckled briefly when he picked up the faint sound of a squeak on the other line. 

“So um, six-thirty?”

“Yeah, that works, where is this studio?”

“It’s on the corner of Main Street and Jackson – it’s called Chakra.”

“Oh, I think I’ve seen it in passing.”

“Apparently, the instructor Lindsay is one of the best around so these classes fill up quickly. Anyway, I should get back to work, I’ll see you later then, looking forward to seeing you.”

“Yeah, me too.”

When he hung up, he shifted in his stance as his body tightened up from all the creative poses that drummed through his mind. He set a stack of supplies on a shelf and eyed his watch.

“Yoga,” he said softly as his eyes widened.

 

Buffy met Willow outside the girls’ locker room shortly after finishing work for the day. Willow chatted excitedly as they dressed into some form fitted comfy clothes for their yoga class. After getting dressed, Buffy followed Willow in her car to the downtown district. She snagged a curbside spot a few feet from the studio and was surprised to see a long line of women waiting by the door. Buffy got in line as Willow ambled over.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said this class is in big demand.”

A few minutes before five-thirty, the glass door opened and the all female class participants filed inside. Buffy and Willow grimaced when they wandered inside the large studio and felt a thick heat blanketing over them. Buffy wiped her forehead as a sheet of sweat sprung over it.

“My goodness, this place is like a furnace,” she moaned.

She blinked in surprise again when she noticed all the other girls in the class weren’t bothered by the insane temperature. 

“What kind of yoga class is this?” she asked.

Willow dug into her pocket and pulled out the flyer.

“It says it’s Bikram Yoga,” she said.

Buffy widened her eyes. “OH, oh my goodness, that explains why it’s like a furnace in here. Bikram yoga is taught in a heated studio.”

She moaned softly as she wiped another sheet of sweat from her face. Willow flashed a guilty look.

“Oh sorry Buffy, I didn’t realize, did you want to bail? I’ll understand if you do.”

Buffy drowned a large portion of her water bottle. 

“No um, it’s okay, we’re already here so we might as well try it out. The heat just takes some getting used to.”

As all the girls in the studio settled onto mats, a door on the side opened and a young, good looking guy with an athletic build shuffled to the front. His dark hair was pulled into a short ponytail as the muscles in his arms and chest rippled through his thin black tank top. His chiseled face drew a congenial smile as he bowed to the group and chanted a greeting. 

“I am Lindsay and welcome to Bikram Yoga,” he soothed. “Are there any first timers here?”

Willow gulped as she meekly raised her hand along with Buffy and a couple other girls. Lindsey met Willow then Buffy’s eyes and bowed again.

“Welcome,” he said. 

 

Dean shifted anxiously in his stance as he finished up his last oil change for the day. He eyed the time as it neared six. He swung his sights to the parking lot and heaved a breath when no new customers had pulled in for the past hour. Caleb, to his great surprise had offered to close up, leaving him the opportunity to take off a little early. He tugged on the collar of his shirt as his body blistered with heated thoughts of Buffy in her yoga class. He was a little unnerved by the depth of his illicit visions while he worked but could only blame his long term restraint that had been recently unleashed and boiling like a mad, primal beast. He forced out a huge breath of air as the minutes wound down to the time he was finished.


	11. It’s Raining Men, Hallelujah!

It was a short distance from the auto shop to the yoga studio so Dean opted to walk and let the brisk winter breeze cool off the blazing arousal soaring through his system. If he had still been that guy six years ago, he wouldn’t have thought twice about stuffing Buffy in some closet in the studio and having his way with her, taking advantage of all the poses she learned but he was a completely different guy now and as much as his mind corrupted and entertained an abundance of steamy scenarios, one fact always won out over his raw, male urges, Buffy was a lady accustomed to bad relationships and selfish men. And while he was confident she trusted him as they ventured into this stage of their relationship, he wasn’t about to scare the be Jesus out of her by tackling her with such an aggressive be it adventurous, style of sex.

When he hit the curb of Jackson Street, he blinked in amazement after drifting out of his reflections, at how quickly he had reached the yoga studio. He yanked open the front door and wandered down a short hall. His eyes settled through the glass wall of the main studio as he caught sight of Buffy standing by Willow near the back. He let out a breath when he noticed her form fitted, slim sweatpants and thin strapped tank top. As she bent forward, she propped her hands on the mat and pulled her legs close to her chest, her firm little bottom jutting high in the air. 

Dean sucked in a hard breath as his body raged with excitement and his mind slammed deep into the gutter. He cleared his throat, trying to brush away the horribly vulgar thoughts making his head spin at that moment as his jaw dropped open. Buffy latched her hands onto her ankles and tightened up her pose as Dean noticed the rivulets of sweat rolling down her back and beneath the fabric of her tank top. When he swore he felt his boots collecting mass amounts of saliva, he shook his head, trying to knock his lascivious daze away. 

Stop it man, she’s a LADY, not a fantasy, though she was a fantasy too, no, she was a dream, a pure dream girl and the naughty, naughty mind of the sexually starved man shouldn’t have entertained such raunchy images. Maybe later on as her comfort level progressed she would be open to more things but no way would he unveil the wealth of his experience so early on and even if she wasn’t open, it really wouldn’t make a difference to him anyway. If all she wanted was one style, then he would give her that, he would give her whatever she wanted, in a minute. 

Dean burst out of his daze when he noticed a figure moving across the studio floor.....a blaringly muscular figure with a ponytail, a blaringly GOOD LOOKING figure, a blaringly CHISELED figure drifting closer to the back of the room near Buffy. Who was this Fabio type guy lurking near his lady? Where was Lindsay? 

Dean widened his eyes a little as the young, good looking, chiseled guy studied Buffy’s pose before snaking up behind her. Dean widened his eyes more when the guy set his hands on Buffy’s hips and waved his junk a little too close to her ass. Dean felt his eyeballs shoot out the back of his head as Fabio gently pushed her deeper into the pose, his junk inching even closer to her ass, prompting Buffy to wince and open her mouth as if to let out a moan. 

“What the fuck,” Dean blurted out instinctively as he shifted in his stance.

He felt the blazing heat in his body flush with ice as he clenched his jaw and edged closer to the glass. Just when he thought his eyeballs had completely sunk from his head, losing all rational sight, he found himself fixating on that ponytailed punk flashing a wide smile as he eased Buffy back toward his junk. 

“What the hell kind of yoga class is this?”

Who did this dude think he was grossly taking advantage of innocent young girls just wanting to get some stretching exercises under their belt? 

Dean curled his right hand into a tight fist when Leotardo propped her legs wider across the mat, still gripping her hips and shining a blissful expression as Buffy crinkled her face and opened her mouth. 

Dean felt his face flooding with stony lines as he tightened his fist even more, narrowing Stretch Boy in his sights. Tension gripped his body as he glared deeply at that sleazy schmuck who was passing himself off as a legitimate yoga teacher just so he could cop feels on unsuspecting clients. His throat rumbled with an assortment of curse words when that prick finally took his hands off Buffy and ambled up to the front of the studio. 

Dean glared deeply at that sneaky pervert as he bowed to the class. After a minute, the girls in the room began stacking their mats in the corner of the studio. Dean blinked with shock when his descending sights took pause on his shaking curled up fist, ready to strike with the slightest provoking. He pushed his feet back and quickly ambled away from the glass. He retreated into the short hallway and began pacing fervently; blowing out deep, hot breaths, forcing the acrimonious feelings to bleed out of his system. 

He paused momentarily when he realized his first impulse, after seeing Yoga the Bear putting his paws on Buffy, was to knock the dude out cold. He heaved a huge breath and stamped back the anxiety in his throat as that realization completely unnerved him. His mind briefly traveled over his own experience growing up around a callous, hot tempered drunk who spat nasty words to him almost every day of his life since his mom died. 

Dean choked on the memory when he heard several high pitched voices echoing in the hall. He forced out another long breath and glanced down at his fist which had now completely unfurled. He veiled his remorse when he noticed Buffy and Willow at the end of the hall. She caught his eyes and completely lit up with a bright warm smile. She skipped over as she wiped her face with a towel. She beamed a bright warm smile at him when she reached him. 

As she draped her hands around his neck to draw him in for a hug, she drew a guilty look.

“I may be a little um.....pungent,” she moaned.

Willow waved fervently and smiled. 

“Hi Dean.”

Dean blew off the remainder of unsettling feelings in his blood and pushed a smile over his face. 

“Hey Willow,” he said. 

His eyes shifted down to Buffy who still had her hand hanging around his neck. He soaked in the sight of her smile and the sparkle in her eyes, feeling the tension and fear in his body dissipate the longer he gazed at her. He let out a soft sigh of relief as his smile widened without force.

“I think I may be a little more pungent than you so, if you can take it I can take it,” he cracked.

He gently tucked her within his arms and shut his eyes for a moment, absorbing the comfort of her warm, caring heart. 

“Oh! You two are just too cute!” Willow cooed.

After pulling away, Dean took her hand and guided her out of the studio. Willow waved excitedly as they strolled down the block toward Sue’s Diner. 

“Gosh, I thought I might need to get my jacket but right now I’m really hot.....”

She yanked her top out an inch and fanned herself.

“And a little....um....sweaty,” she said softly.

Dean forced out a breath as his mind lingered on a disgruntled thought – she got bendy, sweaty and moany with another guy.....

He cleared his throat for a long moment and pitched the negativity aside. 

“So uh, did you like that.....”

Fallacy of a class, he thought.

“Yoga thing,” he finished.

Buffy cocked her head as she used her free hand to rub her shoulder.

“Well the posing I liked but the heat – not so much.”

“The heat?”

“Yeah, um it’s Bikram style, so the studio is heated.”

“Oh, that’s.....convenient,” he muttered.

Convenient for making girls sweat. 

“Huh?”

Dean forced out another breath of negativity.

“Nothing,” he said. “You think you’ll go back? It looked kind of.....painful.”

Buffy snickered as she looked up at him.

“Oh, you saw me? Well, it was pretty challenging, more than I thought it would be. The class I took in L.A. was the standard stuff like ‘tree pose’ and ‘downward dog into plank’.”

Dean exuded his complete cluelessness. 

“Okay, I’ll have to take your word for it.”

Buffy shot him an understanding look. “Anyway, there’s another session on Wednesday before the holiday so Will and I are going back. Hopefully I won’t be as sore then, because gosh, I’m kind of already feeling it.”

Dean perched outside of Sue’s and used extreme force to push out the grumblings in his head – so she got bendy, sweaty, moany AND sore from Leotardo.......great, just great. What the hell does she need me for?

Buffy studied Dean briefly as he seemed slightly distant. She brushed a hand over his cheek, causing him to blink rapidly.

“Are you okay?”

Dean swallowed the icy flares dangling around his heart as Buffy deepened her inquisitive expression.

“Yeah, I’m just totally shot, really long day,” he answered.

Buffy flashed a sympathetic look.

“You didn’t have to meet me for dinner,” she said. “You should go home and get some rest.”

Dean silently cursed himself for withholding the candid truth about his inner cogitations from her. He vowed to be open and honest with her but he was still fearful that revealing this side of himself would be the bullet that killed the dream of a life with her. He gazed deeply at her as her concern flooded through him. He cupped her chin and smiled.

“I will later,” he replied. “Right now, I want to sit down and have dinner with a fine lady.”

Buffy caught her reflection in the diner window and gulped. Not only was her top soaked with sweat but her braids were frizzy and limp from the dampness and cold.

“Uh, you might need to get your eyes checked because I’m sort of looking like a wet mouse right now,” she moaned.

Dean burst out laughing as she moped over her ragged appearance. He curled his arm around her as he yanked open the diner door with his free hand.

“Well, you’re one cute wet mouse,” he said. 

 

A short time later, after ordering a hearty dinner, Dean let out a sigh of relief as his ill feelings completely faded away the longer Buffy shared his company. She cupped his hand over his as she animatedly discussed a funny story with a parent of one of her students until the mood shifted with her news about Coach Elkins.  
Dean looked significantly shocked as he absorbed the news.

“Geez, that’s terrible, I always though Elkins was going to be a lifer,” he remarked. “So no word on who is filling his shoes?”

Buffy shook her head. “No Giles is looking but according to Will, it’s hard to recruit out of state talent.”

“Well yeah, this town already struck gold with you, can’t have that kind of luck again, at least not in my book.”

Buffy blushed with amusement and genuine awe. She shifted onto a conversation about Sammy, to which Dean drew a genuine, smile before recapping the past few days. 

“.....so why won’t you get him a puppy?” she asked. 

“They’re a lot of work and responsibility.”

“Well yeah but Sammy is such a great kid, he’s always telling me how he likes to help you with the house chores and how rare is that? A kid who LIKES to do chores? I really think he could handle a pet.”

“Yeah, I know he could.”

“You should give it some thought,” she advised. “Sammy’s not like other kids who thinks pets are trends of the moment. He has a lot of love in his heart. It’s easy to see that.”

“I can see it too, that is WHEN I get to see him. I mean Ellen has been all too eager to have him over. I’m starting to feel like I share custody of him.”

“Well, you have been holding out on her,” she reasoned with a teasing smile. 

“Yeah, I know I haven’t brought him by the past couple of months so I’m glad he’s getting to spend time with Ellen and Bobby and ‘his’ dog.”

 

After dinner, Dean walked Buffy back to her car. She shivered when she stepped out of the diner and felt a frosty wind blowing over her. Dean peeled off his jacket and draped it over her bare shoulders, rubbing her arms to generate some heat. She threw him a grateful smile as he slung his arm over her and strolled beside her down the sidewalk. 

“It’s going to start getting really cold around here,” he said. “I hope you’re ready for the big smack of reality called SNOWFALL Little Miss Sunshine,” he cracked with a smile.

Buffy snuggled deeper within his arm as she swore she felt her skin molding into ice from the sharp cold in the air. 

“If you mean do I have a cute pink parka dying to be taken out of its box, then YES,” she said.

“I like you in pink,” he remarked with a wider smile.

Buffy gulped as heat blasted from the tips of her feet and blazed through her body when she saw the bright spark in his eyes. She perched beside her car and peeled off his jacket as he took her in his arms and planted a sweet kiss on her mouth.

“I had a very lovely evening,” she said.

“Me too, I wish it wasn’t over but I’m supposed to pick up Sammy soon after he walks the dog.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”

After another brief kiss, she climbed into her car. Dean paused on the sidewalk and watched her pull away from the curb before he glanced at the window of the yoga studio. He felt his smile rapidly fade away when his disgruntled thoughts returned to his mind.

“Prick,” he grumbled as he pushed off the curb.

 

The following morning, Buffy met Willow in the faculty lounge. Willow was wincing deeply as Buffy poured her cup of coffee.

“What’s wrong Will?”

“I am SO sore,” she confessed softly. “I um....I think that yoga class was a little too much for me. So um, I don’t really want to go back.”

Buffy blew out a huge sigh of relief. 

“Oh thank god!” she squealed.

Willow widened her eyes. “You didn’t like it?”

Buffy bit her lip before she looked ruefully at Willow. “It’s not that I hated it, I mean some parts were good and I was going to give it another try if you really wanted to but um, to be honest, I didn’t really want to.”

Willow heaved her own sigh of relief.

“Then it’s settled we won’t go back. I’m probably going to be sore until the end of the year!” she moaned.

Willow sucked down a sip of tea.

“Just out of curiosity what parts weren’t so good about that class?”

Buffy shot her eyes around the lounge as she shifted in her stance.

“Um, the parts that um brushed.....against my um....backside area.”

Willow studied Buffy for a long minute before it registered. Her eyes widened.

“Oohhh, oh my gosh, you mean when Lindsay was assisting you with the poses his....um....”

Buffy shined an awkward expression and gulped.

“Yeah, I tried not to acknowledge it because I thought it was inappropriate if it was on purpose.”

“I don’t think he did that on purpose, do you? I mean he came highly recommended by a lot of girls in town.”

Buffy widened her eyes as she sipped from her coffee.

“Um, I could understand WHY.”

“He’s very professional with clients,” Willow replied. “If he was being blatantly obscene the gossip hounds in this town would have spread the news. Trust me.”

Buffy gauged her sincerity and sighed. “Yeah, I’m sure it was just an accident.”

“Does Dean know that Lindsay’s um....you know made...um contact?”

“I don’t think so, I mean he did say he saw me in class for a little bit but I hope it wasn’t ‘that’ bit.”

“Well, he didn’t look like he was mad so he probably didn’t, because....he would be mad wouldn’t he? Not that I’ve ever seen him mad or raise his voice to ANYONE, I’m convinced he doesn’t have a ‘mad’ gene in his body but wouldn’t he at least be upset or something?”

Buffy heaved a breath as she refilled her mug.

“Um, I think any guy who saw his girlfriend getting a little too close with some beefy yoga instructor would have some sort of negative reaction, I think it’s only natural to at least wonder at this early point of our relationship, but you are right to be convinced about the mad gene thing. Dean is so cool about everything that if he was mad I wouldn’t have seen it.”

“Yeah, he’s nice all around and.....”

Willow widened her eyes as she bounced excitedly.

“Oh! OH MY GOSH! He called you his girlfriend?! When did that happen? Why didn’t you tell me this during our gabfest last weekend?”

Buffy felt her cheeks flush with color as she drew a bashful smile.

“Um, he didn’t actually I just um....well at this point he’s more than just a guy I’m dating on occasion, I mean, I see him a lot and I talk to him almost every morning and.....”

“You don’t want to see other guys?”

“No, I don’t,” Buffy affirmed. “He’s just so.....great in every way. And we haven’t really talked about being um...steady I guess, that sounds so high school silly but....what I mean to say is that I....”

“You want to be his honey,” Willow cooed. 

Buffy blushed deeply and smiled goofily. 

“I hope I am,” she said.

Willow patted on her heart. “OH! I’m melting! And you SO ARE his honey, I mean he’s not looking to date ANY girl, he’s looking to date THEE girl, that’s what he wants and you’re it – you’re absolutely perfect for him and he’s perfect for you!”

Willow sniffed as joyous tears sprung in her eyes.

“OH! I can’t wait to see your wedding invitations!” she cried gleefully.

Buffy giggled at Willow’s excitement before she settled down and skipped off to her lab.

 

Early in the afternoon on Thursday, Buffy shuffled around her kitchen cooking up an abundance of side dishes to serve with her turkey. She had spent most of Wednesday night cleaning her house and moving the last of her unpacked boxes into a different room. 

After being satisfied that her dining and living area were presentable for company, she roused early in the morning to start cooking. By the time she had settled the table with placemats, checked on the turkey and side dishes and put out a variety of drinks, Giles and Jenny arrived promptly at four. Willow and Oz arrived fifteen minutes later, to which she incessantly apologized. At four-thirty, while chatter broke between Willow and Jenny, Buffy heard her doorbell ring. Giles offered to answer the door as Buffy was swamped with cooking tasks. Dean and Sammy strolled into the house and greeted Giles. 

Sammy bounded alongside Dean as he ambled into the kitchen. Buffy set the turkey out to cool as Dean inhaled all the wonderful aromas wafting though the house.

“Wow, it smells like Heaven in here,” he exalted.

When Buffy turned around and shot him an apologetic look for not greeting him right away, he smiled as she curled her arms around him. In the light, her golden hair glowed brightly along with the marvelous sparkle in her hazel eyes as she beamed an affectionate smile.

“Wait, I think it IS Heaven because you are an angel,” he said.

As Sammy tugged on her apron, Dean managed just a very brief kiss on her cheek before letting Buffy kneel down to greet him. 

“Can I help Buffy?” Sammy asked.

“Aw, you’re so sweet Sammy. You could um, put out the napkins on the table for me.”

Buffy picked up a stack of napkins and handed them to Sammy. He eagerly ran over to the dining table and commenced his task as Dean and Oz acknowledged each other. After a few minutes, Jenny and Willow helped carry out the side dishes to the table, while Oz and Giles poured out drinks. 

Dean hovered over Buffy as she removed the foil from the turkey. She looked up at him with a teasing smile.

“Are you sure you have room for....slunch?”

Dean glanced at his watch before he patted his stomach.

“Well, I think we’re on to.....prinner.”

“Prinner.....pre-dinner?”

Dean cracked a silly smile. 

“Cracked my code did you?”

Buffy giggled softly as Dean glanced at the group gathered around the table. He looked back at her and stole a sweet little kiss before he snatched the turkey tray and carried it over. 

Buffy removed foil from a crusty potato side dish. Giles inhaled a familiar aroma and shined his delight.

“My goodness is that cottage pie?”

“Yeah, I thought for the holiday I’d bring a little piece of home to you.”

Buffy picked up his plate.

“Would you like to try some?”

“Please,” Giles said.

Buffy scooped out a helping and handed the plate to Giles. She glanced at Dean who already had a plateful of food.

“Dean?”

“What’s cottage pie?”

“It’s an English dish made with meat and mashed potatoes.”

“Oh so in other words it’s delicious,” he lauded. 

He pushed his plate out and she dropped a portion onto it. Sammy widened his eyes at the mounds of food.

“Wow daddy, are you going to eat all of that?”

“I sure am going to try, even if I go into a coma for awhile I’ll be a well fed, happy man,” he cracked. 

Buffy giggled as she settled into a seat between Dean and Sammy.

“Well, save room for dessert, I’ve got a pumpkin and a chocolate cream pie.”

Dean glanced at his plate before he traced a little section out on his stomach. 

“Okay, I’ll store a space right here,” he joked with a goofy grin. 

Buffy raised her glass of wine and regarded the group.

“I just wanted to take this moment to say thanks to each and every one of you for making me feel so welcome here. It’s definitely made the move from out west a lot easier.”

Everyone raised their glass and cheered before diving into conversation and dinner. 

 

Dean stretched out on the couch working on his second helping of ‘sessert’ or second dessert as he acknowledged, while Sammy helped Buffy with the dishes. Giles and Jenny watched curiously as Willow winced with pain. Oz got up from his seat and started massaging her shoulders.

“Ohhhh,” she moaned. “I can’t believe I’m still SO sore from yoga.”

Dean took pause from his delightful trance of pie eating when he heard Willow’s complaints. Thoughts of Leotardo rippled through his mind as he felt his stomach grumbling loudly. He sat up and put the half eaten pie on the coffee table, having lost his appetite.

“Oh, did you try out Lindsay?” Jenny asked. “He’s great isn’t he? He really works you to the bone.”

Dean eyed Giles who didn’t show an ounce of offense at the name or the crude undertones of her statement. Buffy shuffled over with a coffee pot and refilled mugs. Dean glanced up at her as Willow relished in Oz’s soothing massage.

“Did you two go back to that.....class last night?”

“No, um, we both decided it was too challenging for us so we gave up our spots to more seasoned enthusiasts. We won’t be going back.”

Buffy took his cup and refilled it as he drew a silly smile out of her view. 

“Oh, that’s...too bad,” he said with exaggerated remorse.

He choked on the amused laughter in his throat as he snatched his pie plate back up. Buffy smiled when she saw his goofy grin as he devoured the remainder of the pie with extreme fervor. She handed him the cup and he widened his goofy grin.

“Thanks you’re the best,” he said.

 

After Giles and Jenny left, Oz and Willow hung around for awhile as Dean grazed over the food left out on the counter. Sammy helped Buffy clean off the table and put the dishes in the washer. 

“So are we going to see you guys at the game tomorrow?” Willow asked.

Buffy paused in her action and widened her eyes.

“Game? What game? There’s a game?”

“Yeah, the whole town is going,” Willow answered.

“No one told me,” Buffy said in a panic. “Where were the smushed banners announcing it? How is a new resident supposed to be informed without those?”

Buffy glanced at Dean as he chewed on a big turkey leg.

“Did you know there was a game?”

Dean drew his eyes up to her questioning look.

“Uh, yeah, the Big Twelve Conference Championships kicks off tomorrow against.....”

“Stinky Colorado Buffaloes,” Willow said. “One of our biggest rivals in the league. It’s the hottest ticket in town, which is why we got ours as soon as they went on sale. You can’t even buy them through a scalper....not that I would know that.”

Buffy stared at Willow as she absorbed the details.

“Oh, I’m going to be the only one in town without a ticket,” she moaned. “I guess I’ll spend a quiet day cleaning tomorrow.”

“Well, aren’t you going with Dean?”

All eyes fell on Dean as he fervently picked at a stubborn piece of meat stuck to the leg bone. He stopped chewing when he felt the weight of stares. Willow widened her eyes.

“Oh! You didn’t ask her to go.” 

Willow winced. 

“Yikes, sorry, I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

Dean wiped the turkey juice from his hands as Buffy questioned him with her eyes.

“No, no, you’re not causing trouble Willow BUT I am kind of curious that you um....didn’t ask.”

As the stares deepened, Dean shifted in his stance and drew a sheepish smile.

“Uh....like Willow said uh, tickets are hard to come by and uh, I got them before we met and...Sammy and I usually go and eat lots of junk and.....”

Dean blew out a breath as the stares lingered.

“Uh, you know what? I’ve got some contacts that might be able to scrape up another ticket at the last minute.”

Buffy waved a hand. “It’s okay, I just got in too late that’s all. I’ll figure something out to do.”

“Oh no Buffy, you can’t stay home tomorrow, everyone is going and the games are always so much fun,” Willow replied. “Right Dean?”

Dean noticed Sammy stretched out on the couch before shifting his eyes to Buffy.

“Yeah, it is,” he affirmed. “I’ll snag a ticket for you.”

Buffy drew a teasing smile. “OH, NOW you want to take me to the game huh? Like some sort of sympathy date?”

Willow winced. “OH, awkward moment, Oz and I will leave you alone. Come on Oz.”

Buffy snickered from her inside joke.

“Oh Will I was just kid....”

But before she could finish her statement, Willow had tugged Oz out the door. Buffy heaved a sigh and shook her head in amusement. When she looked up, she noticed Dean crouched over the couch with an affectionate smile on his face. 

Buffy shuffled over to see Sammy fast asleep, his face buried in a pillow. Dean swept the tuft of tawny brown hair from his eyes as he eyed the time.

“He’s had a lot of excitement today between you and Ellen and ‘his dog’ and the sleepy wonders of turkey,” he said. “I should get him home.”

Buffy nodded as Dean gently scooped Sammy into his arms. She collected their jackets as he ambled over to the door. He took the jackets in his free hand as Sammy continued to sleep without disruption.

“Thanks for stopping by,” she said softly.

“Thanks for the invite, it was an amazing meal and the company as always was fantastic.”

He leaned over Sammy’s little head resting on his shoulder and gave Buffy a sweet goodbye kiss. She propped the door open for him as he swept onto the porch.

“So, the game kicks off at three-thirty, I’ll swing by around two.”

“Are you sure you can get me a ticket? I don’t want you to go to too much trouble, it’s really okay if I’m the only one in town sitting at home WATCHING the game.”

“The Jayhawks and the Buffaloes in the championships is a history making experience in Lawrence, you really shouldn’t miss out and I totally apologize for not thinking ahead and asking you to go. It’s been kind of crazy lately but I’ve got no excuses for making you feel left out so to compensate I will buy you an assortment of artery clogging snacks of which you can respectfully decline and give to me.”

Buffy snorted with amusement and quickly stifled it not wanting to wake Sammy.

“Now that I think about it, Ellen and Bobby go every year so between their allotments of vendor tickets, they should have at least one unclaimed, I’ll give her a call when I get home.”

As he drifted down the steps, he paused on a thought and gently swung back around.

“And break out that pink parka because tomorrow is the first day of real frost around here, so you’ve been warned.”

Buffy covered her mouth as she giggled softly. She watched Dean as he carried Sammy to the car and secured him in the backseat. She leaned in the doorway as he flashed a smile to her before pulling away from the curb.

 

Dean arrived at Buffy’s house a little after two o’clock. She swung the door open, wearing her new pink parka with a matching sweater. She had a pair of gloves and a scarf in her hand along with a travel thermos. She greeted him with a warm smile as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her very briefly. When she eased out of his hold, she caught Sammy waving and waved back.

“Oh, so Ellen wants to take Sammy after the game, until tomorrow morning, so.....maybe you want to bring some of those stolen hotel items with you,” he teased.

Buffy giggled before the hot sparks in his eyes sent waves of pleasurable shivers through her body. 

“But only if you want to keep me company later,” he said. “No pressure or assumptions.”

Buffy gulped as she swam in the brilliance of those eyes. Her cheeks flushed with heat in the brisk winter air. 

“Um, okay, I’ll be one minute.”

Buffy stepped back inside and disappeared upstairs for a second. She stuffed a few things in her large purse before drifting out the door. Sammy bounced excitedly in the back seat as she neared the car. She giggled as Sammy resembled a snowball, wrapped in several layers under a thick, billowy parka. 

Dean drew a gleeful smile as Buffy met his eyes before turning her full attention to Sammy who quickly chattered about his school week.

 

Even after arriving forty minutes early, Buffy was amazed at the mass amount of vehicle and pedestrian traffic flooding the exterior of Memorial Stadium. She glanced at the assortment of attendants wearing college logos, some with painted faces, and some with silly hats, some waving fists wildly and chanting for their teams. She heard the echoes of drumbeats in the distance as Dean eased the car into the surrounding parking lot and maneuvered through crowds of people to find an empty space. 

After several minutes of gathering blankets and a couple of thermoses, Buffy strolled beside Dean as he clutched Sammy’s hand. When they became surrounded by people, Dean drifted closer to Buffy. She shot him an amused smile when she recognized the display of his ‘Sammy panic’ in his eyes. She freed up her hand and latched onto his. She saw him heave a breath as the crowd around them thickened.

“So how did you score a ticket?”

“Ellen had a couple of extras, better seats than the ones I got so, I took those.”

“Oh, well I’ll have to thank her later.”

Buffy flourished in the thermal heat of her pink parka which she had zipped up to the very top. The air was extremely crisp and even with her scarf bundled around her neck and her knit gloves on she still felt a slight chill. She glanced down at Sammy and giggled when he was practically swimming in his parka. The hood of his parka was laced tight around his chin and his eyes barely peeked out below the thick trim. 

After maneuvering through the entrance, Buffy widened her eyes when Dean guided her and Sammy down the second row, center field. 

“Wow, you weren’t kidding about better seats.”

Buffy folded down the seat and settled in as Sammy whined through the hood of his parka. 

“Okay Sammy, just one second and you unzip your jacket a little bit,” Dean replied.

Sammy kicked his feet out as Dean tugged the zipper down. 

“Daddy, I’m hot,” he moaned. “Can I take my jacket off please?”

Buffy gauged Sammy’s deep mope and eyed Dean.

“We’ve got plenty of blankets so Sammy will stay warm,” she said. “And I’ve got hot chocolate too.”

Dean let out a sigh. 

“Okay but if it starts to snow, you’re going back in buddy.”

Sammy beamed a grateful smile as Dean tugged the jacket off. Buffy widened her eyes in delight when Sammy was wearing the beanie she had bought for him, pulled down over his ears. She eyed Dean as he settled down in the seat beside her, keeping his own jacket on.

“Awww, Sammy’s wearing the beanie I got for him,” she cooed. “Where’s yours?”

Dean shifted his eyes from the players strutting down the field to Buffy. He fidgeted in his seat as he rubbed his hands together. 

“Uh, my head isn’t really cold yet,” he reasoned.

“Did you bring it or at least ear muffs? You weren’t kidding about the first frost either.”

“I’ve got something for later.”

Buffy glanced at his bare hands. 

“Do you have gloves?”

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “I’m used to the cold.”

As he gauged her concern, he swept up her gloved hand.

“And I’d prefer you keep my hands warm anyway.”

Buffy reciprocated his warm smile as the crowd rose for the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ to which after the home team prepped for the opening kickoff. The team mascots skipped along through the stands encouraging people to cheer and shout. 

A short time later, Buffy was surprised at how much she was truly enjoying herself. Though she hadn’t been much of a sports fanatic back in L.A., she found the cheering crowds around her infectious and soon she began chanting with them and applauding and booing along with everyone else. 

As halftime approached, Buffy noticed a few reporters from various stations milling around the field. 

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Sammy moped.

“Yeah, me too Sammy, me too,” Dean replied as he got to his feet. “What do you feel like? Jaydog kids’ special?”

Sammy nodded emphatically.

“Okay you got it buddy,” Dean said. 

Dean snatched Sammy’s hand and glanced down at Buffy.

“We’ll be back in a bit, what can I get you?”

“Oh um, I can stay with Sammy,” she offered.

Sammy grinned. “Can I stay with Buffy daddy? Please?”

Dean dropped Sammy’s hand. 

“Sure Sammy, I know Buffy will take great care of you while I’m gone,” he said.

He looked back at Buffy.

“Thanks.....so, hungry for anything in particular?”

“Um, maybe some popcorn if they’ve got it.”

“Oh, they’ve got everything except you know healthy stuff,” he cracked. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

After Dean left, Buffy noticed the mascot Baby Jay waving to everyone. Buffy and Sammy both waved as Baby Jay came over to the first row. 

“OH, I want to take a picture!” she said.

Buffy hurriedly dug into her purse and fished out her camera. She took Sammy’s hand and guided him over to the mascot. Buffy giggled as Baby Jay posed with Sammy. She snapped several shots before Baby Jay moved on. Buffy put her camera away and swiftly latched onto Sammy’s hand as a crowd of teenagers approached him. 

“Do you want to walk around for a bit sweetie? I kind of need to stretch my legs,” she said.

Sammy grinned and nodded. 

“Okay Buffy.”

Buffy firmly held onto Sammy’s hand as she led him through a few throngs of people and around the stadium. She pointed to the Buffalo mascot of the rival team before stopping at a vendor selling souvenirs. She looked over several things before picking something out for herself. 

“What do you want Sammy? I’ll buy you something,” she said.

“I don’t want anything Buffy.”

“Are you sure?”

Sammy nodded. 

“Well, how about for your daddy? He’s always treating me to stuff so I want to get him something, will you help me pick something out for him?”

Sammy licked his lips and nodded as he looked over the selection of caps, flags, pins and other spirited accessories. 

“THAT Buffy, I think daddy will like that,” Sammy said.

Buffy smiled as she waited in a short line. After purchasing her souvenir, she latched onto Sammy and strolled back around the field toward their seats. As she edged along the field, weaving through crowds, she noticed a young guy in a golf shirt and slacks, standing in front of a news camera. A few die hard fans lingered around to watch the live newscast, making silly faces and cheering behind the field reporter.

Buffy did a double take as she drew closer to the stands, before fully stopping in her tracks. She studied the young guy as he held a congenial smile before the cameraman indicated they were off the air. After passing off the microphone, the young guy caught her eyes. He ambled over to her with a curious expression.

“Shortcake Summers?”

Buffy widened her eyes in recognition as the young guy flashed a teasing smile.

“OH. MY. GOD. Ford?! Wow, of all places to run into you,” she said.

Buffy threw her arms around Ford, giving him a warm hug. When she inched away, she noticed the logo on the pocket of his golf shirt.

“KGSN? So you’re a big time news guy now,” she said. “I always wondered about what happened to the guy who used to cheat off my chem exams.”

She flashed a teasing smile before giggling. Ford cocked his head, undaunted by her remark. 

“I believe it was the other way around Shortcake,” he cracked. “You were too busy staring at me with googly eyes to concentrate in class.”

Buffy exaggerated an offended look as she lightly smacked Ford on the shoulder.

“I did not stare at you AND....”

She mocked an annoyed glare.

“Don’t EVER call me that horrible nickname again,” she said. “I still have your mom’s number you know and I’m not afraid to use it to complain about you.”

Ford managed a short laugh as he looked her over.

“You look great,” he remarked.

“You do too, you haven’t changed much, still cocky and wisecracking I see,” she commented with an amused grin.

After sharing a laugh, Buffy beamed a friendly smile at him.

“So, you’re in sports casting, that’s pretty cool, what else have you been up to?”

Ford shrugged. “Traveling mostly, covering all the games in the Boulder area, skiing and snowboarding on my off time, taking drum lessons, working on some personal projects.”

“Wow, so you’ve been busy.”

Ford glanced curiously at the boy holding her hand.

“I see you’ve been busy too with your own....project,” he replied. “Congratulations?”

Ford deepened his curious expression as Buffy eyed Sammy.

“Oh um, no, no, he’s not mine,” she clarified.

“Oh, so he’s what, on loan?”

Buffy snickered before she firmed up her grip on Sammy’s hand.

“No, this one belongs to my boyfriend,” she stated. 

Buffy looked down at Sammy.

“Sammy sweetie, this is an old friend of mine, his name is Ford.”

Sammy waved his little hand and smiled politely. Ford reciprocated the polite smile before his eyebrows raised at Buffy.

“So, you’re dating a single dad? That’s.....different. I remember you used to go on and on about finding Mr. Right and getting married, buying a house and having two point five kids.”

“That was high school stuff,” Buffy replied. “And Dean is an amazing guy.”

Ford cocked his head in curiosity again as Buffy displayed a silly smile.

“Oh, so he is Mr. Right,” he remarked.

Buffy hitched her head up when she heard the announcement of the halftime entertainment about to start. 

“I better get back,” Buffy said.

Ford glanced at his watch. 

“Yeah me too, my job is done for now.”

As Buffy pushed off toward her seat, Ford fell in step with her. 

“I’ll walk with you, need to make use of my vendor pass for free food and stuff,” he said. 

 

Dean put his balancing skills to the test as he gathered an assortment of snacks, food and drinks in his hands. He threw several apologetic expressions when he inadvertently stumbled into a few people as the crowds around him thickened. He eyed the clock on the scoreboard and heard the announcement of the half time show blaring through the stadium speakers. By the time he maneuvered through the stands toward his set of sets, the home team’s band was marching into formation on the field. 

Dean felt an instinctual heart palpitation when he found his seats empty but quickly blew out a breath, confident Sammy was in good hands. As he sidestepped through the aisle, his eyes shot around the stadium, casually looking over the crowds of people. He smiled when he caught sight of Buffy’s pink parka near the entrance of the stands at the far end of the first aisle. His eyes drifted to Sammy holding Buffy’s hand, bouncing with glee. He inhaled a breath in awe at seeing this girl he completely trusted with his son in a crowded place. 

After a minute, his blissful trance ruptured when he saw a young guy taking Buffy into his arms. Dean blinked rapidly wondering if his eyes were deceiving him as Buffy drew a wide smile and clutched the young guy. Dean narrowed his eyes on the dude, a young dude, a young dude with a charming smile, a young good looking dude, throwing a wink as he pulled out of the hug.....okay who was THIS dude hugging her? He felt a dark shimmer in his heart as he grew drunk with curiosity and dread at the idea of Buffy meeting someone new in the span of five minutes. She didn’t seem to have ‘polite’ smile but genuine, friendly smile.

When a body bumped into him, he forced himself to move down the aisle as his eyes remained fixated on Buffy still chatting with younggoodlookingcharmingsmile dude. After a second, he noticed the dude handing her a business card. Dean widened his eyes in disbelief. Was this dude trying to hook up with her? Did he not see that she was with a kid, HIS KID, wasn’t that supposed to be a signal that she was off limits or was this punk so dense he thought she was just babysitting?

Dean perched beside his seat as tension flared up throughout his body. He narrowed his eyes on this Tom Cruise wannabe as Buffy took his card......what? Dean let out a breath as he felt kicked in the lungs. She took his card.........

Buffy guided Sammy back into the stands. Sammy skipped along Buffy as they drifted back to the seats. Sammy ran over to Dean who seemed like he was in a deep trance. Buffy eyed him curiously as she took a few treats out of his hands.

“Dean? You okay sweetie?”

When he didn’t answer right away, Buffy drew her hand to his jaw and brushed a finger across it. She noticed his eyes staring off before blinking rapidly and turning to her.

“Uh.....yeah.......”

“I’m really hungry now daddy,” Sammy moaned.

Dean glanced back at Tom Cruise punk as Buffy took the kids meal and handed it over to Sammy. Sammy dove into the food as Buffy drew curious eyes to Dean, still standing up and looking off. 

“Dean? I don’t think they’re going to play the Star Spangled Banner again, you can sit down,” she teased.

Dean shook off his daze as he folded into his seat. As the halftime show started, Buffy studied Dean as he continued to look off. She picked up his hand and leaned close to him.

“Who’s got your attention?”

Dean released a deep breath, forcing out his ill feelings from his system. 

“Uh....who was that....”

Punk, prick, boneheaded idiot......

“Guy you were talking with over there?”

Buffy followed his sights to see Ford talking to his cameraman. She waved a hand dismissively.

“Oh, um, that’s Ford...Billy Fordham, he’s a sportscaster for the Boulder news syndicate. He commentates for all the Buffalo games.”

Dean studied Fordham for a long minute before nodding.

“OH, he seemed a little familiar,” he said. 

“Yeah, he’s a bigwig TV guy now.”

Dean checked on Sammy who was happily munching away. 

“Well, you two seemed....chummy,” he remarked, masking his intense curiosity.

Buffy drew her eyes away from the band performing on the field.

“Oh, um, yeah, we have a bit of a history,” she revealed. “I was totally floored to run into him here after all these years.”

“A history?”

Buffy waved her hand dismissively again.

“Yeah, he’s been in love with me for AGES, but I broke his heart, moved away and he’s been searching for me ever since hoping that one day I’ll finally accept his marriage proposal, you know?”

After holding a serious expression for barely a moment, Buffy erupted into laughter. 

“No, no, I’m kidding,” she said as she continued laughing.

She folded over, wiping the tears of amusement from her eyes and then looked up at Dean. Her humorous expression quickly washed away and was replaced with concern when she saw his face knitted with complete wonder. 

“I’m seriously kidding,” she assured. 

“So you don’t have a history?”

Buffy gulped with guilt at her lightheartedness about an old friend when she detected a slight speck of worry in his tone.

“Well we do, but it wasn’t in a romantic way, we did tease each other about it all throughout sophomore year but it was just jokes,” she clarified.

“Oh, you went to Hemery together,” he replied.

Buffy nodded as she dug into her popcorn.

“Yeah, he transferred in at the end of my freshman year, lived a couple doors down, our parents were friends,” she imparted. “He and his folks spent a couple of Christmases with us.”

Dean veiled his mass relief. “Oh, okay, so it was strictly a family friend thing then, huh?”

“Yeah, although, there was a point I started to crush on him after he joined the wrestling team because I thought he looked really cute in his uniform.”

Dean sucked in a breath as trepidation sprouted back into his mind. 

“You had the hots for a guy who wore - a leotard?”

Buffy nearly choked on her popcorn as her body rumbled with laughter. 

“It’s called a singlet,” she clarified between snickers. “And it’s the regulation uniform wrestlers are required to wear.”

Dean nodded as he popped a handful of cheesy chips in his mouth.

“Right, so they wear form-fitted, REGULATION leotards,” he stated with a smirk.

Buffy shook her head in amusement.

“I thought you weren’t into jocks in high school.”

“I wasn’t and my crush on Ford lasted all of one week before....”

“Before what?”

“I met Nelson in the library,” she said. “Anyway, it was nice to see Ford and find out what happened to him, I lost touch with him after senior year.”

“Well, he uh....looked happy to see you....if I didn’t any better I’d think he was a little too into that.....uh......hug he gave you.”

Buffy shifted her eyes from the field to Dean and noticed a faint but visible tint of suspicion in his expression.

“You saw that? Oh um, that’s just the way he is, he’s a wisecracking, cocky guy, always has been, especially around me, always trying to get the best of me but he’s just an old friend, never thought I’d ever see him again.......and he said nice things about Sammy.”

Sammy sucked down his drink and looked up at Buffy. He shined a toothy grin at her.

“He called you shortcake,” he said.

Buffy gulped with embarrassment as Dean hitched an eyebrow up in wide curiosity.

“Shortcake?”

What? So not only was this dude hugging her and waving HIS junk near her cave but now he’s throwing pet names at her.

“Oh, that’s.....cute I guess,” he said, veiling the irritation in his tone. 

Buffy drew her face to her hands and shook her head. When she dropped her hands, she moped.

“Shortcake Summers,” she moaned. “It’s a horrible, stupid nickname he had for me, because I was the smallest girl at Hemery.”

She sat up straight and gave a defiant look.

“So what if I was only five two, I believed that I just hadn’t sprouted to my full height yet.”

“Are you still waiting? Because you might start SHRINKING before that happens.”

Buffy opened her mouth to gasp as Dean chuckled briefly. 

“No repeating that nickname,” she pleaded. “It gave me a complex for a time.”

“I would never do that,” he replied firmly. “I’d never do or say anything you don’t like.”

Buffy let out a sigh of contentment as she held his hand.

“Yeah, I know you wouldn’t,” she said with a sweet smile.

As the band exited the field and the teams returned, Buffy drew her eyes around the stadium. 

“I guess Ford went over to the stinky Buffaloes side,” she said. “Maybe we’ll see him later and I can introduce him to you. He really wanted to meet you after he found out what kind of car you had.”

Buffy glanced up at Dean as he worked on a hotdog loaded with condiments.

“He has this uncanny ability to describe someone based on their car,” she explained. “I thought he was joking when he first told me but it turns out he was right. The first time I met him, he saw this beat up station wagon, right then he said, ‘old man, long hair, holding onto his days as a hippie, eating organic food and singing songs about peace during his lunch hour’, wouldn’t you believe he had described our History teacher, Mr. Lyle to a T. After that, I made him go around the whole faculty lot and he was never wrong. He described my dad perfectly too. It really is an amazing talent of his.

“Really, so, what’d he say about me?”

“Well after he stopped joking about me dating an old sugar daddy...”

Buffy rolled her eyes.

“He said ‘Impala, hmmm.....classic car guy most likely digs classic rock and a simple ways of life, enjoys pizza, beer and good company.”

She drew a wide smile as she absorbed his sheer amazement.

“Uh wow....I have to admit that is impressive.”

“He’s never been wrong,” she affirmed. “Anyway, if we don’t run into him, I got his business card so the next time he’s in town for a Buffaloes match, maybe we can get together, although I’ll have to ban him from certain WAY embarrassing topics regarding ME.”

She leaned against him and laced her arm around his.

“Will was right, these games really are fun,” she said. “I’m having a great time. Thanks for stealing a ticket for me.”

She looked up and flashed him a goofy smile as he met her eyes.

“Thanks for coming out at the last minute,” he replied.

Buffy snuggled deeper against him as the third quarter began. 

 

After the sun crept into the horizon, Buffy, Dean and Sammy started bundling up when a strong, chilly breeze swept over them. As the game lagged with penalty after penalty, the air grew sharper with cold. Buffy shifted her eyes from the play and noticed Dean fishing out something. She smiled as he pulled the wool beanie she had bought him over his head and around his ears. She glanced at Sammy who had pulled his beanie to just above his eyeline.

“Aw, you two look so cute,” she cooed. “I have to take a picture.”

Dean groaned softly as she eagerly yanked out her camera. 

“Oh no, no pictures,” he pleaded.

“Oh don’t be such a baby, just one little picture,” she stressed. “Sammy wants to take a picture, right?”

Sammy nodded and bounced in his seat.

“You have to be in the picture too Buffy! You, me and daddy!”

“Oh um....”

Buffy turned to her right and politely caught the attention of an older woman sitting next to her.

“Excuse me, could you snap a quick picture for me?”

The older woman smiled and nodded as she took the camera and looked through the viewfinder. 

“A little bit closer,” the older woman said. “Can’t see all three of you.”

Dean picked Sammy up and settled him in his lap. Buffy leaned close to Dean, angling her head against his shoulder. The older woman counted off before snapping the picture. 

“Thank you,” Buffy said as she took the camera back.

“Such a nice family you’ve got,” the older woman remarked.

Buffy blushed as she checked the picture and showed it to Dean on the display screen. 

“Wow, uh, that really is a nice pic,” he said.

“See? Aren’t you glad I used the cute coercions of a six year old to get you take it?”

Dean chuckled as Sammy crawled over and looked at the photo.

“Yeah, between a cute girl and a cute kid, I’m pretty much a doormat,” he cracked.

Buffy drew a bashful smile as the three curled up under blankets, trying to stave off the incessant chill.

 

Dean met up with Ellen at a designated location outside the stadium, a few minutes before the Jayhawks blowout game ended. Buffy and Ellen hugged as Dean hugged Sammy goodbye. Ellen took Sammy’s hand as he waved to Buffy.

“Auntie Ellen, is Rumsfeld really hungry now?”

Buffy giggled as Ellen slung Sammy’s overnight bag over her shoulder.

“It’s just about time for his dinner sweetie, so we can rustle up something really nice when we get home.”

Sammy skipped excitedly as Ellen guided him away. 

 

After beating the onslaught of game traffic, Dean eased the car into his garage and let Buffy inside. She let out a contented sigh at the heat swarming through the house, peeling off her gloves and pink parka. In a quick minute, she was able to feel the blood in her cheeks again. 

“Okay, I’ve heard of cold but this is ridiculous. I did move to Kansas and not the Antarctic, right?”

Dean chuckled as he peeled off his jacket and curled an arm around her.

“You did know that it SNOWS here really, really bad during the winter before you moved here right? I’d hate to think all the promotional brochures about Kansas have photos of sunshine and rainbows and Toto just to lure people out here.”

Dean tucked her into his arms and swept a thick lock of hair from her eyes.

“Then again, it lured you out here so.....no complaints,” he said with a smile.

She gave a modest smile as he slipped a hand behind her head and drew her mouth toward his. She heaved a pleasant sigh as she tightened her arms around him, deepening the tender kiss. She relished in the feel of his hand combing through her hair as her body sizzled instantly with arousal. 

After another minute, Dean inched away from her mouth and drew an apologetic expression.

“Can I offer you something? A drink? I’d hate for you to think I only want you to stay over for this.”

Buffy drew a hand to his cheek and caressed it as she shook her head and smiled fondly.

“I like being with you,” she confessed. “In any aspect.”

She pulled his mouth back on hers and kissed him with a sweet passion. After several minutes of exchanging, long, hot kisses, Dean took her hand and led her upstairs to the bedroom. 

When they reached the edge of the bed, Buffy pushed off her toes and kissed him fervently. She had never thought she would enjoy nor anticipate the next opportunity to be intimate with a man until she met Dean. He was in a caliber all his own, putting her comfort level above anything else when it came to the bedroom activities. She was still in awe at how much she trusted him in the short time she had known him.

Buffy broke away from the kiss and absorbed the deep glow in his eyes as he gazed down at her. She gripped the hem of his shirt and pushed it up. As she yanked it off his head, he drew his arms up, allowing her to peel it completely away. She dropped the shirt on the floor and raised her own arms. Dean edged closer to her and gently pulled off her sweater to reveal a lacy lavender bra. He took her back in his arms and planted a heat filled kiss on her mouth. 

Buffy angled her head back, locking her tongue around his as he clutched her tight to his body. After a long minute, Dean broke away and gently turned her around, slipping his hands across her stomach. He plastered her neck with soft, wet kisses as his hands traveled beneath the waistband of her jeans, swiftly unfastening the button and tugging down the zipper. 

Buffy leaned her weight against Dean as bolts of electricity snapped through her mind and the flames of desire quickly raged through her body. She let out a soft pant when she felt his hand dipping beneath the thin band of her lace panties while deliciously stroking the crook of her neck with his tongue. She moaned softly as her body quivered with delight. 

Buffy released a hot pant as Dean slipped two fingers into her warm, fluid canal and gently rasped them against the delicate flesh. She gasped deeply as the sensation bombarded her senses. Her heart beat thundered behind her rib cage as her breathing grew ragged with each stroke inside her. Her low moan broke the dreamy silence as she buried the back of her head against Dean’s shoulder. He slung an arm around her waist, clutching her tight against his body. He took her mouth in a lustful kiss as she slipped a hand behind his neck. 

Buffy roared through her teeth as her body thrashed against him, the longer and deeper he rasped his fingers inside the folds of her flesh. Her face beaded with perspiration as her body lurched forward. She let out a long moan as her chest heaved rapidly with ragged breaths. 

Dean brought his hand up from her waist to cup her breast. He dug the fleshy mound out from the lacy fabric and began kneading the firm nipple between his thumb and index finger. Buffy roared even more as the dual sensations blasted through her brain. 

Dean propped his mouth back on hers, driving his tongue deep inside and quickly dancing with hers. He eased his fingers out of her and pushed her jeans and panties down and off her hips. Buffy shook her legs, coaxing the articles toward her ankles before tossing them off her feet as Dean unsnapped her bra.

As she absorbed the deep flare of desire in his eyes, she scooted onto the bed, pulling him down on top of her by the waistband of his jeans. She kissed him with mad passion, as he gingerly maneuvered her toward the bed while yanking the remainder of his clothes off. After a very long minute of hot kisses, Dean inched away from Buffy and absorbed the glassy sparkle of her eyes.

“So.....any special requests? Repeat performances? Sunny side up or over easy?” he asked with a silly smile.

Buffy snickered softly as she brushed a finger across his mouth. Her heart fluttered rigorously as his silly smile shifted into one of affection. If she was dreaming, god please do not let me wake me up. She had crushed on a few boys in high school, dated one or two throughout her young adult years, tried to stamp out the awful memories of the bad ones, but she had never really had anything as emotionally and physically satisfying as this blossoming relationship with Dean. After so many things had gone wrong with guys in the past, she had to wonder if it was fate that brought her to Kansas and not just a chance job opening. 

Buffy looked deeply into his eyes and smiled up at him with intense appreciation and affection. This wasn’t some high school crush or a silly teenage phase of ‘liking’ a boy. Her heartbeat rocketed in pace as she felt something deeper, something stronger brewing in her the longer she admired Dean. She knew she had fallen quickly for him but she hadn’t realized how far she had surpassed the ‘really liking you’ stage until now. She heaved a gasp as she cradled his face and pulled him in for a kiss. She clutched him tightly against her body, opening her legs up to him, wanting to bask in all the sensations he filled her heart and body with. 

Dean rolled onto his back, pulling her over his body. He soaked in the feel of her silky locks draping around his face, the bright sparkle of her eyes, the soft curves of her mouth as she shined a warm smile down at him. He sucked in a breath in complete awe, convinced that Heaven had come to Lawrence, Kansas in the beautiful and amazing form of one Buffy Anne Summers. He wrapped his arms around her waist, locking her into his hold. God, please do not let me say nor do anything that makes her walk away from me, I don’t think I can take it.

His eyelids fluttered shut as Buffy planted soft, sweet kisses all over his face in the blissful silence. When he opened his eyes and caught her fond smile, he felt a sharp quiver in his heart. He gulped as his throat tightened with a strange emotion the longer she gazed affectionately at him. He slipped a hand through her hair and cradled the back of her head, dipping her mouth over his. He kissed her with intense appreciation for a very, very long minute. She released a contented sigh as she angled her legs over his hips. 

After another long minute of tender kissing, he slowly maneuvered himself between the warm folds of her apex, gently easing against the hilt. He watched her eyelids roll shut as she let out a very soft cry. He slipped his hands on her thighs and gingerly pressed them tighter against his own. Her belly jerked as he took her hands and propped them on his chest before folding her body up. He lightly eased her hips forward a few times before she started moving them on her own. 

Buffy let out a deep moan as she rocked her hips forward in slow, soft motions. She stamped her eyes shut as her belly jerked with each heated pulse of his muscle that vibrated through her canal. She squeaked softly in her throat as the fever in her body commanded her to rock quicker and with more force. When she heard Dean choke after a minute, she opened her eyes as he gripped her hips and held her still.

Dean cautiously sucked in a loud breath as his eyes rolled shut, struggling to keep his ecstasy caged despite the insane euphoria blazing through every part of his body. After sucking in another slow breath, he blew out a relieved sigh as his excitement dialed back. He opened his eyes to see Buffy exuding a guilty expression.

“Sorry,” she said meekly. “I got um....carried away.”

“No need to apologize for enjoying yourself,” he assured. “I’m enjoying it way too much. Continue, please continue.”

He drew her hips forward, pulling her almost to the tip before sliding her back down the length of his muscle. She squeaked high from the motion before she mimicked it, steadying her hands on his chest, basking in the heat flooding through her as the slick lips of her apex rasped along his turgid flesh. Her mouth dropped open as her chest heaved raggedly, letting out a long moan. Her nails dug sharply into his chest as her hips jerked forward with increasing force, fueled by the blistering blasts of euphoria soaring through her body, craving more and more. 

She panted and heaved and moaned, climbing higher and higher, her mind and body completely devoid of feeling anything other than that wonderful agony. She soared through the clouds until she burst out with a long cry, her body shaking and her eyes glistening with joy. She gasped for air and collapsed over Dean as his chest bellowed rapidly with his own release. He curled his arms around her as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. She heaved another gasp for air as she drew a wide, goofy smile before letting her eyelids drift shut.

 

A few hours later, as they were snuggled deep within each other’s arms, Buffy opened her eyes as Dean let out a deep breath. She very gingerly caressed his face, soaking in his peaceful expression. After a few strokes, he roused awake and looked at her with weary eyes. He pulled her closer to his body as she widened her smile.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she whispered.

“I was going to get up anyway, eat something.”

She giggled softly. 

“I should have figured,” she said. “You want me to get you something?”

“No, I want you to stay right here,” he replied.

Buffy snuggled closer to Dean and basked in the warmth of his arms. After a sweet kiss that lingered on for awhile, they went back to sleep.

 

As the sunlight flooded through the blinds of the bedroom, Buffy let out a soft yawn as her eyes fluttered open. She smiled dreamily as Dean slept soundly next to her. She shut her eyes and let herself drift back to sleep.

An hour later, ‘Renegade’ broke through the peaceful silence. Dean heaved a sigh as he fumbled around the bedside table for his phone. 

“Hey Ellen.......uh anytime you want to give him back to me.......okay sounds good......bye.”

Dean hung up and let out a long yawn as he curled back up against Buffy and went back to sleep.

 

After waking up a little after ten-thirty, Dean passed on Buffy’s offer to cook up some breakfast and treated to her a meal at Sue’s Diner instead, before he had to pick up Sammy. He was still amazed that after so many weeks, conversation never lulled as Buffy often had something new and interesting to talk about. When brunch was finished, Dean dropped Buffy off at her house. They lingered on the porch, hugging and kissing and smiling with affection before Dean had to leave. When he pulled away from the curb, a song played in his head as Buffy waved goodbye to him, a song that reminded him of what she was to him, a song that drummed up a blissful feeling in his heart, a song that he realized was very fitting for his lady of the morning.

 

Monday morning, Buffy recapped her weekend festivities to Willow as they shared a muffin in the faculty lounge. Willow listened with wide eyes and bounced excitedly or released an ‘aww’ throughout the recap.

“So no personalized ringtone yet?”

“No, not that I’m aware of.”

Willow moped deeply. “Well, why is it so hard for him? There are like a dozen songs about girls and perfect girls so I wouldn’t think it’d be so difficult.”

Buffy shrugged without offense. “He’s got a lot of things on his plate so it’s not that big of a deal.”

Willow broke off another piece of the muffin as she fell back into chatter with Buffy. After a few minutes, a young guy in a UCLA jacket and baseball cap strolled into the lounge. Buffy glanced at the guy before she whipped her eyes back on him. She widened her eyes in recognition.

“OH. MY. GOSH. Riley? Riley Finn?”

Willow turned her sights to a tall guy with wholesome good looks, brown hair blue eyes and a friendly smile. He glanced at Buffy for a brief minute.

“Buffy Summers? Wow, this really is a small world.”

Buffy beamed a warm smile as he helped himself to a cup of coffee.

“Well what are you doing in THIS small world?”

Riley tapped on a binder with the Lawrence High logo. 

“I’m the new varsity football coach,” he imparted. “Starting today.”

She lightly batted him on the arm.

“Get out!” she roared. “They snagged you from L.A.?!”

Buffy noticed Willow’s curious gaze and drew an apologetic expression.

“Oh, how rude of me, Will, this is an old friend of my family, Riley Finn. This is Willow Rosenberg; she’s the computer science teacher.”

Riley and Willow shook hands. 

“Wow what are the chances we get two L.A. folks out in this part of the country,” Willow remarked.

“Yeah, how did they lure you out to the land of snow and smooshed festivals?” Buffy asked eagerly.

Riley drew a confused look. 

“Uh, what festivals?”

Buffy waved a hand and drew an amused smile.

“More on that later. What’s the scoop?”

“Oh, well Coach Elkins son and I met at a religious retreat in Fargo a couple years ago. He called me over the weekend and mentioned the situation with his dad and that they were looking for a new coach.”

“And you thought Kansas, yay?”

Willow noted the time and waved. “I’ve got to run, it was nice meeting you Riley, welcome to Lawrence.”

Riley cast a congenial smile. 

“Thanks and it was nice meeting you.”

Riley shifted his eyes back to Buffy.

“The last I heard you were flying high on scholarship at UCLA.”

Riley tapped on his right knee. “I was till this thing blew out on me, had to take another route, I never planned on playing football professionally anyhow. I’ve been traveling to Africa off and on the past couple of years, helping with the Red Cross when I heard about this opportunity it sounded interesting and I’ve been looking to settle into a smaller town.”

“Smaller than that cornhusk town you grew up in?”

Riley shrugged. 

“I missed the seasons of the Midwest and my parents moved out to Texas last year and bought into a ranch.”

“Woah, I can’t see Sandy and Doug as cowpokes,” she said before giggling. 

“And you really don’t want to, it’s a bit...traumatizing,” Riley joked. “Anyway, there weren’t any opportunities I was interested in back in Iowa and then this opened up so I thought, stroke of luck you know? How did you end up here? I thought you were going into the Social System?”

Buffy nodded toward the lounge door. Riley nodded as he walked out with her. 

“Well, it’s sort of the same ‘stroke of luck’ thing I guess, I was just looking for a change in careers and.....life.” 

“Oh, well good for you, how are you adjusting to SNOW?”

“I’ll let you know I have yet to see it, I HEAR we get TONS of it but maybe I’m some sort of ward so keep your fingers crossed.”

Riley shrugged as he drifted down the hall. 

“I miss the snow. Anyway, what are you teaching here?”

“Mmm, I’m a shaper of young minds.”

Buffy nodded toward her office where Riley saw her title.

“Guidance counselor, oh,” he said. 

Giles wandered down the hall and noticed Riley.

“Mister Finn I presume?”

Riley shined his surprise. “Yes.”

“New face, small town,” Buffy explained.

Riley nodded as Giles offered his hand.

“Rupert Giles, Principal. Thank for accepting the position on such short notice. We were very grateful to Mr. Elkins’ son for the recommendation. We have had a history of difficulty filling in the athletic openings, so thank you once again.”

Riley shook his hand.

“If you have a minute, I’d like to go over a few things?”

Riley nodded as Buffy perched in her doorway. 

“I’ve got a meeting in five,” she said. “But swing by at lunch if you can, I’d love to catch up.”

Riley nodded. 

“That’d be great.”

 

Later in the afternoon, Richie wandered into the stock room to find Dean replenishing the shelves.

“Hey Dean, Oz is on the phone for you,” he said.

Dean ripped open a large carton and eyed Richie.

“Okay, thanks man.”

Dean picked up the phone as he yanked out small boxes. 

“Hey Oz, what’s up?”

Dean glanced at his watch.

“Now?......oh.....just one class....yeah, it shouldn’t be a problem, I’ve got a full staff today and it hasn’t been that busy, just leave me an agenda with the staff secretary.......no problem man, have fun at the dentist.”

Dean hung up the phone and ambled out into the garage. He stopped in Cass’ station.

“I got to run out and cover a class for Oz and then I’m going home after that so, you’re in charge of the shop.”

Cass nodded as Dean handed him some keys.

“Everything will be run accordingly,” Cass professed. “I shall not disappoint you.”

Dean flashed an appreciative smile as he patted Cass on the back.

“I know you won’t,” he said.

 

As he strolled through the faculty parking lot, Dean took pause at a car he had never seen in town before. He ambled passed the dark blue1969 GTO Judge with Iowa license plates. He let out a low whistle and smiled. 

“Niiiice,” he said as he wandered by.

Shortly after walking into the faculty area, he paused outside Buffy’s door and found her office empty. He heaved a sigh of disappointment as he drifted over to the reception desk. He flashed a curious expression when the receptionist informed him that Buffy was in the athletics training room. He eyed his watch as he headed down a long hallway, made a couple of turns and then reached a large facility where the high school athletes worked out during their free periods. 

He perched in the doorway and swung his eyes around. He blinked in mass surprise and disbelief when he saw Buffy in the arms of some new dude. He heaved a deep breath as that unsettling feeling curdled in his veins. Buffy shined a warm and friendly smile as she drifted out of the guy’s arms. 

Dean narrowed his eyes on this dude, tall, athletic build, good looking....of course, with an amicable smile and manner. He let out a sigh as Buffy animatedly chatted for a time before her eyes met his. She beamed a bright smile and waved at him to come over. He took note of the time and lingered in the doorway before he slowly pushed off toward her. 

Dean studied the dude in the UCLA jacket and cap as Buffy widened her smile. 

“Hi! What are you doing here?” Buffy asked.

“Oz had to go the dentist so I’m covering his last class for the day.”

“Oh, well I’m glad you’re here. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Dean noticed Buffy clutching the arm of the dude and forced a friendly expression over his face.

“This is an old friend of mine, Riley Finn, Riley, this is my boyfriend Dean.”

Riley threw a polite smile and offered his hand as Dean felt his mind strike with speechlessness upon hearing Buffy’s introduction. What did she just call me? He blinked when time seemed to shift slowly as he took in Buffy’s affectionate smile and clutched to his arm. The disgruntled feelings fueling through his blood quickly flushed out as he lingered over Buffy, gazing deeply at him. He sucked in a breath as words returned to his mind. He extended a hand and drew his own polite smile as his mind blistered with awe.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” Riley remarked.

“Oh? All good I hope,” Dean said as he shook hands.

Riley nodded. “She couldn’t stop raving about you at lunch.”

Dean turned his eyes curiously to Buffy.

“You.....had lunch.....together?”

Buffy gave a casual look. “Yeah, Riley just got into town last night and doesn’t know a soul, except me. How amazing is it that I run into yet another guy from past in Kansas, huh?”

Dean bit back the immense displeasure rolling around in his mind. 

“Uh, yeah....that’s......amazing,” he said.

Dean shifted his eyes on Riley as he drank from an ‘I heart Iowa’ mug. He blinked when something registered.

“You’re the GTO Judge?” he asked. 

Riley shined his amazement. 

“Yeah, how did you know?”

Buffy lightly poked Riley in the arm. Dean withheld his distaste for Buffy’s playfulness with another dude, despite her still clinging affectionately to him.

“Oh, right, Buffy said you’re her car guy,” Riley clarified. “And that you know all the cars in this town.”

“Dean has a real appreciation for cars,” Buffy remarked. “Especially one as old as yours.” 

Dean drew an odd look at Riley’s Iowa mug and UCLA cap.

“Yeah I uh....I wouldn’t have thought you’d drive a beauty like that.”

Riley cocked his head. 

“Well, my tractor broke down awhile ago.”

Buffy snorted loudly with amusement as Riley joined in. Dean felt his nerves twisting into knots as he observed Buffy’s chemistry with this mysterious farm boy. After the laughter settled down, Riley drew a humbled smile.

“I never thought I’d drive such a classic either until I started working on cars, developed a real appreciation for them and then I found that I actually liked the maintenance, it’s kind of soothing, helps with concentration and details and passing the time.”

Dean gawked with shock. “You......work on cars?”

What the hell, so this good looking corn eating dude has a sweet ride AND knows how to fix them? 

“Yeah, way back in the day, I dabbled a little, standard oil change stuff, but eventually I learned more so I could repair cars for charity as part of my church fundraiser.”

Dean steadied himself when another wave of shock barreled through him. Are you kidding me? So, good looking corn eating dude with a sweet ride, repaired cars for charity and goes to CHURCH????? I’m in a nightmare, aren’t I? 

Dean looked down at Buffy, checking to see she wasn’t laughing hysterically in his face. She simply hung on him with a sweet smile.

“Wow, that’s quite a community service......I bet you....call your mom like every day huh?”

Riley smiled. 

“Every night before she goes to bed actually.”

Dean blinked with wide disbelief as a bell rang out in the hall. As his stomach turned over violently, he swallowed the immense frown that threatened to blanket his face. He pulled a polite smile and nodded toward the hall.

“I uh....I’ve got to get to class,” he muttered.

“Oh, I’ll walk back with you,” Buffy said. 

Buffy turned to Riley and beamed a warm smile.

“I’ll see you later,” Buffy said. “And call me later if you need anything. I’ll be home after five.”

“Okay, it was nice to meet you Dean,” Riley said.

Dean nodded as an assortment of colorful words floated through his mind. He forced his polite smile wider.

“Yeah, uh, you too,” he said through his teeth.

Buffy skipped beside Dean as his head spun with thoughts about this seemingly perfect dude from her past. When they spilled out into the quad, Dean replayed Buffy’s last few words to Riley.

“You gave him your number?” he asked, dialing back his disapproving tone.

“Yeah, I offered to help him move into his place.”

Dean clutched the binder under his arm tightly, trying to stave off the pool of negative feelings swimming behind his casual expression.

“Oh, that was.....nice of you.”

Buffy waved a hand dismissively. “I remember what it was like moving to a new town and not knowing anyone and having a ton of boxes to deal with so I thought I’d lend him a hand, he’s a great guy.”

“Apparently,” Dean muttered under his breath.

He’s got to have something horrible underneath that corn fed skin, like an obsession with.....wearing women’s shoes.....or biting too harsh or.....swearing like a damn sailor. 

“His wife is a nice gal too,” she added.

Dean paused in the hallway of the faculty offices and let out a sigh of relief.

“He’s married.”

Buffy picked up her mail and missed seeing the relief thicken over his face.

“Yeah but she’s in Africa a lot, doing work for the Red Cross.”

Dean clenched down on his jaw as he reeled with more ill feelings.

“Oh, so he’s married but his wife isn’t around......”

Convenient.

Buffy wandered down the hall to her office. 

“Yeah but hopefully she’ll make it back for Christmas, I’d hate for him to spend the holiday alone,” she lamented. “I mean he’s alone a lot so it’s got to be tough.”

“Yeah, tough.”

So tough that he didn’t hesitate to get cozy with a pretty girl from his past. Dean shook his head out of Buffy’s view. 

“Aren’t you going to be late?”

Dean burst out of his black thoughts as he met her eyes.

“Uh, yeah, yeah, I should get going.”

As he pivoted toward the exit, he glanced at his phone as it rang with a random tone. Buffy leaned on the wall next to her door and drew a silly smile.

“Um, just out of curiosity, did you happen to you know......find me a ring tone?”

Dean blew out the remainder of his ill thoughts and smiled.

“Uh yeah, I uh, figured it out,” he answered.

Buffy gasped with glee. 

“Oh yeah? So what did you pick for me?”

“Uh, I’ve got to get to class,” he said.

Dean took a few steps down the hall as Buffy ran into her office. She picked up her phone and dialed a number. After half a second, she heard the sounds of a ringtone and yanked the corded phone into the hallway. 

“.....You’re my lady – of the morning.”

Buffy widened her eyes as she drew a smile. Dean froze when he heard his phone ringing, ‘Lady” blaring through the hallway of the faculty offices. 

Giles, Jenny and a few other staff poked their heads out in curiosity as Buffy absorbed the lyrics. Dean gulped as his cheeks shaded with color when he noticed people staring at him. As the ringtone lingered, Buffy cupped a hand over her mouth and snickered when Dean shifted awkwardly in his stance. She ran into her office and hung up the phone.

Dean blew out a sigh of relief as Buffy rushed up to him. She hung in the doorway and drew a goofy grin.

“Lady of the morning huh?” she asked.

“Uh......”

Dean shifted some more and raked a hand through his hair.

“I’m late for class.”

Buffy pushed off her toes and kissed his cheek.

“It’s fitting,” she whispered. 

She gently urged him away before she flashed a silly smile as she drifted down the hall.


	12. How Do I Know When It’s Love?

Later in the evening, after settling Sammy at Bobby and Ellen’s house, Dean stopped by to help Xander with a new home project. Anya flashed him a friendly smile as she adjusted her hold on Jack. Dean gave little Jack Harris a smile before he ambled down the stairs to the basement. He heard the sounds of the John Williams orchestra performing the ‘Star Wars’ soundtrack and drew a fond smile. Xander was securing a framed mint condition poster of the original Star Wars movie above a small wall mounted television set when Dean reached the basement floor. 

Dean widened his eyes in awe as he noticed the abundance of movie memorabilia littered around the room, from a Storm troopers helmet encased in glass in the corner, to a Jedi costume draped on a headless mannequin to various action figures placed in several glass cabinets, to the Millennium Falcon hanging from the ceiling. 

“Wow, this is a total geek haven,” he cracked as he snickered with amusement.

Xander swung around and hopped off his step stool. 

"Hey dude, thanks for helping me put the ‘ol man cave here together..."

Dean took a peek in one of several dozen boxes scattered on the floor. He chuckled at the Klingon mask and Scooby Doo collectible 7-11 Slushee cup.

"So, you finally found a way to get Anya to let you keep your junk from your teen years, huh?"

Xander nodded with a proud smile, "Yep, Ahn told me I could have it all as long as I kept it out of the view of people so it was either the basement or a tree house but she decided the tree house would take me away from the ‘honey do’ list."

Dean chuckled some more as he noticed a G.I. Joe plastic toy rifle peeking out from one of the boxes. 

"Yeah, because a tree house would be completely age inappropriate with what you had in mind here.”

After settling his laughter, Dean eyed the big ticket items resting along the wall hugging the stairs. 

“Anyway, what can I do man?”

Xander walked Dean over to another corner of a room where a blue felt pool table and parts were strung across the carpet.

"You can help by assembling the pool table...Anya finally let me have one...She said that the bar was taking valuable time away from her so she bought it as an incentive to stay home more..."

Xander handed him a white sheet of assembly instructions.

"Or you can help by unpacking those boxes in that corner although be careful with the box marked fragile that has my Klingon figurines in it."

Dean snickered loudly at Xander's genuinely stern expression before diving into the pool table assembly. He noticed a large box containing a matching blue felt poker table. 

"Wow, you went all out for your 'man cave',” he noted with a smile. “You should consider charging a cover fee cuz I guarantee once your guys at work find out about it, and not to mention me and Oz will be over a lot to make use of it.”

Xander stood tall with confidence and flashed another proud smile.

"Well, I’ve really got Ahn to thank,” he said. “She said the boutique was doing well and she wanted me home more instead of going out with the guys after work so really there is no bad here at all...anyway I'm having a poker game on Friday night to commemorate the new man cave ...you in?”

Xander sat down on the floor and began digging through a box, carefully laying out each action figure down. 

“I hope you can make it but I know you’ve got a full plate. I can't believe how long it’s been since I've seen you though. I think it might have been my birthday actually.”

Dean shifted his eyes away from his task and shaded a stunned look.

“Are you serious? It’s been that long? Wow, man, sorry I haven’t been by, things have been pretty hectic but that’s no excuse for not making some time to spend with my oldest friend.”

Xander beamed an appreciative grin. “So you’ll come?”

“Yeah, absolutely, it’s been ages since I’ve had a guys’ night out, I can’t even remember unless we’re counting you know, your bachelor party,” Dean replied with a smirk.

Xander gulped as he shot his eyes to the basement stairs.

“Dude, you swore you’d take that secret to your grave,” Xander moaned.

Dean roared with laughter as he picked through Xander’s tool box.

“You never told Anya about what we all did that night? What are you so afraid of?”

Xander glared at Dean in shock. 

“You weren’t even an ounce embarrassed by what went down that night?”

“Are you kidding man? I’ve never laughed so hard in my life! I sat back and enjoyed the fact that you were totally wasted and making out with Miss Bambi!” 

Dean laughed for another minute as tears of amusement flooding his eyes. He settled down quickly when Xander brightened a deeper shade of red.

“No worries man, the details of that night shall never pass through my lips,” he declared.

Xander blew out a sigh of relief as his cheeks lessened in color. 

“So who else is in man?"

Xander crinkled his forehead in thought.

"Let me see...I asked Andrew and Oz. Oh and I asked Richie since his uncle gave me a deal on the poker table. But he’s not a definite seeing how it’s a Friday night and he usually has plans that involve....um....an assortment of um.....”

Xander glanced at Dean with an awkward expression, trying to finish his sentence in a polite manner. Dean lifted his eyes up as he screwed in a bolt. He flashed Xander a knowing look. 

“Strippers? Yeah, I’m aware of his weekend ‘activities’. Why do you think his hung over ass calls me every Sunday morning asking to take Monday off?”

“Yeah um, he did ask if I was installing um a.....pole in here.”

Dean let out a sigh as he shook his head and went back to focusing on his task. 

“Anyways, I’m getting pretty excited man,” Xander cheered. “It’s going to be a lot of fun just us guys. And Anya offered to watch Sammy for you that night too. She was going to take Jack out to the Pizza Arcade since its kids’ night, so no need to find a babysitter.”

Dean threw Xander a spirited look.

“Oh, wow, so kid fun and daddy fun, that’s awesome,” he lauded. 

After reviewing the current guest list for the game in his head, Dean eyed Xander with a skeptical look.

“So you invited Andrew? Seriously? Does he even know HOW to play poker or is that the point? I mean, he runs a bridal salon and makes CAKES and thinks regular ‘oil changes’ involve switching out your moisturizer every couple of months. Not that there is anything wrong with the way he lives his life, I am not trying to judge him. Lord knows I hated when people did that to me.”

Xander gave an understanding nod as he broke down a cardboard box he had finished emptying. 

"Well, Andrew brings some of the best snacks ever,” he reasoned.  
“And he has an extensive collection of Female Klingon paraphernalia that he’s going to bring over to share, but yeah he does suck at poker...so maybe I should find a filler. Anyway, Anya promised too that she’s going to stock the fridge full of everyone’s favorite bev.”

"Oh, well, awesome snacks and drinks and taking everyone's money," Dean cracked with a wide smile. "It really is going to be a night of fun for this daddy.”

“Do you know anyone else we can invite?”

Dean shrugged as he worked on screwing on another table leg.

“I'd invite Cass if he was a gambling man but you know him. And by the sounds of the average age at this night, I doubt you want Sheriff Bobby smelling up the place with his old fogeyness, so, I'm tapped out of extended invites."

Xander waved dismissively as he wandered over to the small fridge next to a display cabinet. He pulled out two beers and pried each cap off with a Jaws bottle opener. 

"Bobby can come if you want just don’t want to get in trouble for illegal gambling, " Xander cracked. "Which reminds me, I’ve been meaning to get to the direct point. Ahn tells me there’s been a lot of a ‘couply’ sightings around town concerning you and a pretty little blonde lady holding hands and making goo eyes at each other. Sounds like you two are making with the serious, huh? Is it time for me to break out the old tux? Start planning your Bambi free bachelor party?"

Dean froze in his actions as he widened his eyes and shined an incredulous look. 

"Geez, now I know how Jo felt when she started dating Cass and everyone started asking her when she was getting married," he moaned. "Can't I enjoy the whole dating thing for awhile before I start.....breaking into a sweat over those kinds of questions?" 

Dean deepened his awkward expression as Xander folded down onto the carpet and handed him a beer. 

"I didn’t mean to make you freak dude, its just this is a small town and you obviously have feelings for the girl ...just figured you were ready to take it to the next step... I heard through the grapevine that there are even endearments of ‘sweetie’ being said. You don’t have to elaborate on that one BUT I’m really curious if that’s true or not.”

Xander took a swig of his beer and glanced at his best friend with intense curiosity.

Dean shook his head in recognition. 

"OH. Right. Bunch a chuckleheads at work have nothing better to do than to eavesdrop on my conversations,” he groaned. “Anyway, it's not that I'm freaking out about the whole white dress and bow tie thing, it's just I don't want to speed down the highway too soon, you know? I mean Buffy is.....amazing....”

Xander noticed Dean drawing a goofy smile as his eyes looked off, lost in thought.

“Everything about her is just.....amazing......and the time we spend together is.....amazing....” he exalted.

Xander blinked in awe when Dean widened his goofy smile and continued his praises. 

“And whenever she calls me at work I feel so......"

“Amazing?" Xander assessed.

Dean beamed an even wider goofy smile.

“Yeah,” he sighed gleefully as he sipped his beer.

Xander shook his head in shock as Dean continued to linger in his blissful thoughts.

“Wow, the day has finally arrived that the mighty King has fallen,” Xander quipped.

Dean paused in his sip of beer and sighed loudly. "Dude, swear to me this town is not going to carve that horrible nickname on my gravestone. Seriously, I've done a lot for the people here in the past six years. It's time to stop with it already. Anyway, I'm very grateful that despite having knowledge about my past, she still stuck around and isn't flying off toward other....pardon my French – douche bags – who shall remain nameless.”

Xander gasped with more shock. “Woah, do I detect a bit of the green eyed monster lurking at the surface of calm and cool Dean Winchester?”

Dean flashed Xander an odd look as he swept back another sip of beer.

"Green eyed monster? What are you talking about?” he asked with a cool look. 

Xander studied Dean as he suddenly drew a scowl.

“I mean, just because a triple threat of ‘sculpted statues’ suddenly dropped into her life and were waving their junk around her and pawing at her like a bunch of ravenous pricks doesn't mean you need to call me names man," he groaned.

Xander looked around the room and scratched his head in wonder.

“Uh hi, guess my buddy left, well, I’m Xander, nice to meet you Mr. Jealousy.”

Xander held out his free hand in jest. Dean balked and hardened his scowl.

"Dude, come on, I'm not jealous,” he protested firmly. “I just find it....'interesting' that all these guys are raining down on her like a storm....well forget about that ponytailed prick at the fallacy of a yoga class but the other dudes....Mr. Risky Business in a suit just 'happened' to be commentating at the Jayhawks game, throwing his annoying pet names at her and eyeing her like she was his Rebecca DeMornay and impressing her with his ‘what kind of car does that guy drive’ and look at me I talk about sports, check out my famous mug in the state of Mormons where they don't even DRINK out of MUGS!" 

Dean spat out a breath and shook his head as he shifted into an annoyed frown. He clenched down on his jaw as his breathing grew ragged with his impulsive ranting. 

"And don't even get me started on Huckleberry Finn from down home Iowa who 'happens' to be ‘All the Right Moves’ Tom Cruise with his 'ha ha my tractor broke down – NOT! And his ‘Oh, I love my momma so much I call her ten times a day just to say hello’! Oh GOD and have I mentioned that sweet ride of a Judge that he 'happens' to tool around with for friggin’ church charities?!”

Dean sucked in another breath as felt the veins in his head popping out. Xander widened his eyes in astonishment as Dean deepened his annoyed expression.

“I mean COME ON!” he growled. “Doesn't she know any UGLY dudes?! Is it so much to ask that they have like a scabby mole on their neck or thick body hair or have a freaky need to poke a dog in the butt? For crying out loud nobody is that damn perfect!”

Dean wheezed for breath as Xander spat out his beer in a fit of laughter. Dean glared at Xander with heavy exasperation.

“Oh, so glad you find this so hilarious man.”

Xander wiped his eyes and settled his amusement as he shook his head.

“Sorry man, you should have seen your face when you were going on and on about these dudes checking out your woman,” he reasoned. “I’m just in shock and awe about seeing the guy who never used to let anything affect him. But that’s what happens when you fall in love with a girl, you start flipping out over any guy that gets near her.”

Xander let out a sigh of sympathy as he glanced at Dean. He patted Dean on the shoulder.

“I’ve been there man, crazy little thing called love, huh?”

Xander raised his beer bottle in toast before taking a sip. He noticed Dean widening his eyes, the aggravation flooding off his face and washing with shock instead.

“Uh.....say that again?”

“You Dean Winchester are one hundred percent in love with Buffy,” Xander pointed. “And man, I am very happy for you. Cheers.”

Xander smiled, raised his beer bottle in toast and took a long sip, watching Dean absorbing this revelation. The shock on his face thickened as he stared at Xander intently.

"Seriously?" Dean asked with wide eyed disbelief.

Xander snorted as he ticked off fingers on his right hand.

"The three words you use to describe her are, amazing, amazing and amazing emphasized by a variety of silly expressions," he noted.

Xander set his beer bottle down to free up his fingers.

"You go all mad dog when you see another guy sniffing around her. You feel high when she's around and about as empty as an old beer can when she's not.”

Xander set his hands on his thighs and gave Dean a straight forward expression.

“It's called love man and you are in the thick of it, it’s so obvious.”

Dean widened his eyes in wonder as he sat back against the wall and absorbed Xander's remarks for a minute. He let out a very deep breath as he stared off for awhile before glancing at Xander. 

"Well, I thought that.....love...." 

Dean blew out a breath trying to wrap his head around that word. 

"I thought it’s supposed to make you feel good but when I think about these dudes around her I feel.....the opposite. I feel like I want to crack my fist in their face and then I feel guilty about it because she’s looking at me with such a sweet smile. I feel a lot of things, it's like a rollercoaster of feelings.....I feel like.....a chick!"

Dean balked in astonishment as he swept a hand through his hair. Xander nodded in acknowledgment. 

"Yeah, that's how love feels...it’s like you’re on this rollercoaster and there’s good feelings and scary ones...jealousy over other guys...you remember when Anya and I first started seeing each other and that new paint guy at your garage...what was his name...Guermo tried to pick her up....it drove me crazy....I thought my head was gonna explode from all the bad thoughts about him that were rumbling through my head at that moment.”

Dean widened his eyes in amazement as he blew out a sigh.

“I cannot believe I’m feeling......jealous over a bunch of dudes, me of all people,” he moaned.

Xander shrugged with a casual expression.

“You never cared about a girl this much before,” he said.

“Yeah, you’re right, I never did, I never have until now,” Dean acceded.

“That’s because you met the one,” Xander noted. “She’s everything you’ve been looking for man, beautiful, sweet, good with Sammy and even though I haven’t gotten to know her, the talk around town is that she adores you. So again man, I’m very happy for you. You deserve a great girl and Buffy sounds like she’s it. So, when are you going to tell her how you feel?”

Dean shined a sheepish look as he felt his head spinning. 

"Uh....tell her? Why do I have to tell her? I mean, she's a chick and they're supposed to have this freaky intuition thing right? So, uh, shouldn't she like.....know?"

Dean bit back his hopeful expression as Xander took a hard nosed approach.

"Uh ..no Dean that's not how it works,” he said frankly. “You really should talk about it. You do talk on occasion in between all that newly coupled banging that’s going on, right?”

Dean scowled with disapproval. “Yeah we talk a lot - ANYA.”

“Sorry, impulse,” Xander said. “What I meant to say is, you should tell her how you feel and let her know what you want out of the relationship, that this is more than just some fling because it is more, isn’t it?”

Xander narrowed his eyes on Dean, waiting expectantly for an answer.

“Do I really need to answer that? You know how I’ve lived my life for the past six years man, not to mention how I lived it before that.”

Xander shrugged. “Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. Anyway, you said you wanted to be honest with her and addressing these feelings is part of being honest.”

Dean shook his head in complete fascination as he blew out a deep breath. 

"Yeah....I see your point....so I should just....tell her that I....that I'm....." 

He cleared his throat as the last of the sentence entangled with his nerves. 

"Yeah....we'll uh have to....talk....so, uh......what should I, you know, say?” he inquired.

Xander noticed the dread gathering in his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck in an apprehensive manner.

“I've never done this before and I don't want to sound stupid man,” he moaned. “How did you tell Anya?"

“Well, you know Anya is very blunt,” Xander remarked. “After a couple of months, she just turned to me and said, “I love you, you big tire belly, so you better grow some balls and tell me how you feel!”

Xander drifted through his memory as Dean stared at him in anticipation.

“And? What did you say?”

“Well, that was about a week before we found out she was pregnant so I already knew she was the one, she was my girl and I wanted her to stay my girl,” Xander replied emphatically. “I said to her, you sit your pretty heinie on that couch, now and forever, cuz you’re mine and I’m yours and yeah I love you and then we made it on the couch so you say how happy you are and then you’ll get your ‘happy’ right after.”

Dean flashed a look of mild offense. "Geez man, 'Anya-isms' are ingrained in your bones now huh? I don't want to just say it to get some out of it. I thought the whole point was to just, you know say it and pray to the Holy Heaven that she feels it too. Because to tell you the truth, I'm 'slightly' concerned that Mr. Perfect Cornfed Married but Absent Wife Tractor Boy has a little too much 'good for you' genes compared to....well, the former furniture king, you know what I'm saying?" 

Dean let out a big sigh and shook his head. 

"I think this 'love' stuff is overrated. All I feel is confused and....gunshy."

Xander got up to get another beer. He picked a second one up in offering but Dean politely declined.

“Well I didn’t mean to imply that is the only reason you say it but...usually it comes after so I was just giving you a heads up man.”

Xander cracked the beer cap off with his Jaws opener and leaned on the bar. 

“And I wouldn’t give these other guys a second thought,” he said dismissively. “I mean, she can schmooze with them all she likes but at the end of the night, is she calling them or you?”

Dean felt his anxiety dissipating as he thought over Xander’s inquiry.

“Uh, me?”

“And she’s hugging them and stuff, but who’s the only guy on her mind?”

“Me.....I hope.”

Xander nodded. “Yeah you. You got nothing to worry about. If she wanted a guy without a kid, she could have gone out with Owen or a dozen other guys who have asked me about her, but she chose you over all of them.”

Dean cut his sigh of relief short when he heard this. He shifted quickly into a disapproving glare.

“Wait - what? What other dudes have been asking you about her?”

Xander batted a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about them man, when I heard you were interested in Buffy, I told all of them she was taken.”

“You did?”

“Yeah man, I was looking out for my bro’s ho, ya know?”

Xander gulped and flashed a remorseful look.

“Uh, I meant ‘ho’ in the nice girl kind of way,” he said apologetically. 

Xander slumped against the bar and shrugged.

“Anyway, what do I know? If it weren’t for you, I never would have ended up with Anya. Might you recall that you had to set us up because I didn’t have the guts to ask her out?”

“Well, I was looking out for my bro,” Dean cracked with a smile.

Xander drew a grateful smile.

"And you do know a lot more than me man,” Dean affirmed. “In this field I'm the virgin and you're the seasoned pro. I mean, I'm sitting here feeling like a train ran over me and you're dishing advice like a wise old man. I appreciate it man, I really do. So thanks."

“No problem man. What are friends for?”

“Keeping the details of your bachelor party involving monkey kisses a secret?” Dean asked with a teasing smile.

“Yep, from your lips to God’s ears, right?”

Dean and Xander shared a laugh before they got back to work on building the ‘man cave’.

 

By the time Dean arrived back at Bobby’s house, Sammy was fast asleep in the guest room, Rumsfeld perched at his feet. After Ellen chased him away, Dean wandered down a hall into Bobby’s lounge room. Bobby looked up from a long table littered with parts of a rifle as he chewed on his cigar.

“You bring yer ransom money boy? Cuz Ellen sure isn’t gonna give Sammy up so easy,” he cracked as he chuckled for a bit.

Bobby continued cleaning the rifle parts as Dean drifted around the lounge.

“Say Bobby, can I talk to you about something?”

Bobby put down the cleaning brush and part in his hand on the table. He pulled on the cigar in his mouth and studied Dean with curious eyes.

“You sure can,” Bobby answered. “What’s on your mind?”

Dean set his hands on the table and leaned forward as his face knitted with deep reflection.

“My dad, mostly.”

Bobby sat back in his chair and stamped out his cigar in a ceramic tray. He shined his bewilderment as he picked up his glass of scotch and emptied it. Dean settled down on the arm of the small couch in the room as Bobby cocked an eyebrow.

“We haven’t discussed your daddy since we buried him,” Bobby noted. “What brings him up?”

“Well, it’s not ‘what’ but a....who.”

Bobby deepened his bewildered look. 

“I’m too old for riddles,” he barked lightly. 

Dean heaved a deep sigh as he imparted his encounters with the triple threats. After almost fifteen minutes, Bobby frowned as he got up and refilled his glass.

“So this is about a bunch of men that you think are gonna take away your woman?”

“It’s about the way I felt,” Dean confessed. “When I saw that yoga dude groping her, my first thought was, I wanted to smash his face into the mirror several times......I wanted to beat the crap out of him and I didn’t care how bad I hurt him........”

Bobby frowned with concern as he settled in his chair.

“But you didn’t,” he stressed. “That’s the important part to remember.”

Dean threw a doubtful look at Bobby as he drifted into his past.

“But I wanted to,” he stated. “I almost lost control of myself and that.....scares me to death. It scares me to think that I could be just like him – that with just one little trigger and I could go off and hurt someone I care about or anyone for that matter.”

Bobby hardened his expression. 

“You listen to me son, you are nothing like Johnny,” he replied explicitly. “You are ten times, the man he ever was. God help me I loved him to death but he screwed up his life when he lost your mother. He drank himself to death and he was miserable every day of his life because he thought he had nothing. He was a stupid, stupid idjit!”

Bobby shook his head as his eyes spurted with a little moisture.

“He took it out on you and you were just a boy! If I had a known how he was treatin’ you, I would a beat the snot out of him sooner. You may be his blood, but that’s all the connection you got to him. You ain’t that same punk that was boozin’ and foolin’ around and pickin’ fights, you got a boy that you raised yerself. Sammy is a reflection of you, of the man you’ve become since you got him. And that’s why Ellen and I are so damn proud of you. So don’t think for a second that yer gonna end up like Johnny. No way. You know we won’t let you.”

Bobby gave a confident nod as he smiled paternally.

“We will always kick the snot out of you if you get out of line, that’s what family’s for.”

Bobby chuckled but Dean could only manage a small half smile. 

“Are you worried yer gonna take a hand to Sammy or Buffy? You know that your daddy was a drunk and that’s no excuse for what he did to you but it was why he constantly hurt everyone, he was a coward hiding behind the bottle, couldn’t face his grief, couldn’t turn to us for help, couldn’t embrace you as his precious son. I’m sorry for all the crap he put you through. It’s not your fault but I’m still sorry.”

Dean sucked in a breath when the painful memories of his childhood flooded through his mind. He wiped the set of tears lingering in his eyes, threatening to escape, blowing them out in a long sigh.

“No, I know it’s not my fault but I still can’t help but feel that he’s the reason I hit this fuse.”

Dean heaved another deep sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. 

“You’ll protect them from me if you have to, won’t you?”

Bobby widened his eyes in horror. “Stop talking like that! You got a good head on your shoulders now. You appreciate what you got and there is no sense in trying to defeat yourself. We all get angry sometimes, we all want to pummel people sometimes but as long as you know that it’s wrong, as long as you fight that instinct, you shouldn’t be worried. So stop it Dean, stop thinking like that.”

Bobby got to his feet and steered Dean out of the room.

“Now you take your boy home and you keep on loving him every day the way you have for the past six years,” he said. “Cuz you know how precious he is to you. I see that. We all see it and that’s why I know for certain that you ain’t no Johnny Winchester and you never will be.”

Bobby patted Dean on the back in a supportive gesture. Dean gently scooped Sammy into his arms as Bobby drew another paternal grin.

“A real blessing that boy is,” Bobby whispered.

Dean flashed his own paternal smile as he carried Sammy down the stairs and bundled him into the back seat.

 

Dean nodded to the staff secretary as he breezed into the faculty area a few minutes before the lunch hour. Hearing a familiar sweet laughter, he drew a smile as he ambled down the hall and peeked into Buffy’s office. His smile quickly faded when he saw Buffy and Riley engaged in conversation as they sat on a small couch in her office. 

Dean gauged the distance between Riley and Buffy on the couch and swallowed his protests when she took notice of him. She beamed a bright smile at him as he hung in the doorway.

“Hey,” she said. 

“Hey, you busy? I know we were supposed to have lunch today but don’t let me interrupt your.....meeting.”

Buffy got to her feet and waved a hand in a dismissive gesture.

“No, no, we were just chatting until you got here.”

Buffy plucked her purse out of her desk drawer and picked off her coat as Riley rose to his feet. Dean stepped into the hallway and waited for Riley to wander off. He took pause when Riley simply zipped up his jacket and smiled at Buffy.

“I hope this meatloaf is as good as my mom’s,” he remarked.

“Oh, it’s pretty close,” she said with a smile.

Buffy glanced up at Dean and saw his deep curiosity.

“Oh, I invited Riley to lunch with us, I hope you don’t mind, but when he mentioned he was missing his mom’s home cooking I told him about Sue’s Diner since we’re going there. It’s cool with you, isn’t it?”

Buffy latched onto Dean and gave him a bubbly smile. The irritation in his veins bled away the longer she held that infectious smile.

“Uh sure, yeah, it’s fine.”

Buffy clutched his hand tighter as she shot Riley a teasing smile.

“Coach Finn hasn’t yet made with the social circuit so I offered to be his ‘loan out’ friend for awhile.”

Buffy giggled as the three strolled down the hall and onto campus. Buffy playfully knocked Riley in the arm as Dean bit back his disapproval.

“Loan out.....friend, huh?”

Buffy perched by the Impala as Dean stared at Riley with cautious eyes.

“I think I’m just going to follow you,” Riley said. “I might need to take off a little early. I’m still getting settled into things around here.”

Dean feigned a look of disappointment.

“Oh, you might have to leave early? Well that’s....unfortunate, I was.....really looking forward to getting to know all about you.”

Dean pried a friendly smile over his face remembering a simple battle strategy; keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

Buffy leaned against the passenger side door as she waved to Riley who stepped off to his car. After a short drive over to Sue’s Diner, Buffy, Dean and Riley settled into a booth next to the window. 

“They have the best milkshakes here Ri – you should think about having one.”

Dean arched an eyebrow at Buffy. “Ri?”

Buffy snickered as she waved a hand. “Oh, yeah, it’s just a nickname.”

“A nickname.....right.”

Dean sunk back in his seat as Riley shaded with a smile.

“This place does remind me of the diners back home.”

Buffy flashed a smug grin at Riley. 

“I told you!”

After ordering, Dean observed Buffy throwing Riley warm smiles across the table. He let out a hot breath as he forced an amicable expression across his face.

“So......Riley.....how do you two know each other? I don’t recall hearing that story yet.”

Buffy and Riley exchanged looks before he flashed a stern look.

“I caught her red handed,” he answered. 

“Nuh uh,” Buffy cooed in protest.

“Oh, so I didn’t find twelve empty toilet paper rolls under your bed?”

Buffy lifted her head up in defiance. “I to this day believe I was framed.”

“Right, so you weren’t responsible for that honey trail you left for the bears leading to the boys’ camp even though I found the bottle in your bag?”

“Yeah, somebody must have planted it,” she said.

After a long minute, Buffy and Riley burst into laughter. Buffy cut her amusement short when she noticed Dean shining his cluelessness. She threw him an apologetic smile as she cupped his hand.

“Riley was a teen counselor at St. Mary’s summer camp, my dad was a supervisor there so he signed me up when I was ten so we could spend daddy daughter time together. Anyway, I was a kid and I got bored with all the Bible study stuff and ‘theological’ exercises that my dad put on at the camp so I was antsy a lot and I found ways to....entertain myself.”

“At other people’s expense,” Riley added.

“I did not.”

Riley glanced at Dean and elaborated on the details.

“This one was an unruly kid,” he joked. “I constantly found her causing trouble, pulling pranks on the boys’ camp. She tee-peed the boys’ camp on her second night....”

“Hey, hey, ‘allegedly’,” Buffy clarified. 

“She threw Counselor Flutie’s clothes in the river a couple of times...”

Buffy gasped with offense. “I did not do that! They...’accidentally’ floated into the river when I was on washing duty.....”

“She plugged the communal bathrooms with socks and flooded the camp for a couple of days.”

“Okay, that was SERIOUSLY not me - that was Becky Sanderson.”

Riley nodded in acknowledgment. “Yes, sorry, it was. BUT you ‘double dared’ her to do it.”

Buffy moped as Riley continued listing various incidents for several minutes. Dean sucked in a breath and stared at Buffy in wonder.

“Wow, you had quite the rebellious streak,” he cracked.

Buffy shaded pink and gasped.

“Hey, what do you want? I was a kid and there was nothing fun to do at Bible camp.”

“Except make trouble, yeah I see.”

“Et tu Brutus?” she asked as she turned her nose up.

Riley drew a fond smile at Buffy.

“Remember that one time you tried to coax a bunch of angry skunks into Father Wilkins’ cabin because he reprimanded you for leaving your chewing gum under the fire pit benches?”

Buffy snickered loudly, nearly choking on her chicken salad at the memory.

“Oh! Okay, that was all me only because it was GENIUS!”

Buffy snickered some more as Riley swapped more stories with her in a rapid fire session. Dean watched the chemistry between the two and restrained his composure and his heavy distaste. As the stories and bouts of laughter between the two carried on, Dean narrowed his eyes on Riley, studying his expressions, trying to assess his true intentions. After several more minutes of exchanging stories, Dean leaned back in his seat and draped an arm across the booth, feeling his presence in the diner quickly fading. 

After another minute of Buffy and Riley rambling playfully, Dean rapped his fingers on the upholstery, losing complete interest in another gossipy tale between the two. 

Buffy cupped a hand over her mouth as she lingered on a memory of her childhood, wiping away her tears of amusement. She let out a joyful sigh and shook her head as she finished off her plate. Riley got up and ambled to the back of the diner. As a short silence lingered, Buffy shifted her eyes to Dean who was staring off in space.

Buffy mocked a look of insult. “Hey, am I boring you with the embarrassing tales of my prepubescent life?”

When Dean drifted further into his thoughts, Buffy gently tugged on the sleeve of his jacket. Dean blinked out of his daze and shifted his eyes to see Buffy gazing up at him in curiosity.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“Are you okay? You haven’t said much since we got here, or have I made you speechless with my wild kid antics?”

Buffy giggled as she snuggled against Dean. He managed a brief smile as he curled his arm around her shoulder.

“No, I enjoyed hearing stories about you being less than perfect. I just have a lot on my mind. I didn’t mean to tune you out. I apologize for being such bad company.”

Buffy stroked his cheek affectionately as she smiled at him.

“You’re not bad company,” she assured as she gave him a sweet kiss.

Riley returned to the table as the server dropped the bill. Riley held a hand up as Dean reached for his wallet.

“Please, lunch is on me,” he insisted. “I was taught to always show appreciation to others, so this is my way of saying thanks for giving me such a warm welcome.”

Riley glanced at Buffy and smiled.

“Aw thanks Ri, that’s very sweet of you.”

Dean scoffed very softly in his throat as he clutched Buffy closer to him. 

“Yeah...Ri, that really is ‘sweet’ of you,” he said, veiling the repugnance in his tone. “If I had known you were paying, I would have ordered more food to like stick it to ya.”

Buffy eyed Dean as he forced out his own laughter, covering the raw truth of his statement. Buffy drew a silly smile as she shook her head in amusement.

“Well, I’m going to head back,” Riley remarked. “I’ll see you.”

Riley slid out of the booth and gave a friendly smile to Dean.

“It was nice talking to you,” he said.

Dean nodded as he swallowed his immense grumblings. 

“Yeah, you too.....Ri,” he replied with a subtle sardonic tint in his tone.

 

On the ride back, Buffy absorbed the uncharacteristic silence Dean was exuding as he steered through downtown. When he eased into the faculty parking lot, he rapped on the steering wheel as Buffy reached for the door latch.

Buffy took pause as his silence lingered. She drew a look of heavy concern as she cupped a hand over his. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Dean blew out his doubts for a time and painted a warm smile over his face.

“Yeah, like I said before, a lot of stuff is just rolling through my head. I actually hoped to talk to you about it during lunch but.....we had company.”

Buffy pouted remorsefully, “Oh, sweetie I’m sorry. I really should have asked you if I could invite Riley along. I shouldn’t have been so presumptuous. I was trying to make Riley feel included since he just moved here. I mean, he did a lot of work for my dad and we do have a history so I didn’t want to ignore him. Are you mad?”

Dean absorbed her conflicted expression and blasted off his ill feelings.

“Mad? No, no, I’m not mad, I was just surprised that’s all,” he answered softly. “And don’t feel bad about the Riley thing, I think it’s very sweet of you and very expected of you to show him around.”

Buffy shifted out of her guilty expression and beamed a smile. She leaned over and draped her arms around him, giving him a soft kiss. When she pulled away, she swept a finger across his jaw and drew a goofy smile.

“So no blackmailing me about those camp stories to anyone,” she warned. “I had to bribe a LOT of people to keep quiet!”

Dean flashed his amusement as he stared at her in awe.

“Wow, I never knew there such a closet bad girl in you,” he cracked.

Buffy swung the passenger door open, leaning over to give Dean one last quick goodbye kiss before she climbed out. When she disappeared from his sights, Dean heaved a deep sigh as he felt his heart prickling with a mixture of emotions. As his eyes shifted around the parking lot, he took notice of Riley’s car and blew out a breath.

“Jealousy huh?”

Dean shook his head and veered the car out of the parking lot.

 

The following day, Dean bit back his disappointment when Buffy was stuck in a faculty meeting that dragged on through the lunch hour. As thoughts of Buffy and Riley in the same room together fixated in his mind, he tried to blow off his anxiety through a series of monotonous tasks at work. 

When he tried to set up a dinner later in the evening, he found his anxiety burrowing deeper in his veins after Buffy informed him she was going to be helping Riley unpack a few things at his house. The thought of her being alone with Corn Boy made his blood absolutely combust with trepidation. He stamped his eyes shut as he leaned against the door of the supply room and wiped a sheen of cold sweat from his face.

“I remembered how long it took me to settle into my house, I still am, I mean you’ve seen it, anyway, Riley’s got an extra person’s worth of stuff to unpack so I offered my services.”

Dean blew out a long, hot breath as her sweet tone settled into his coiled nerves.

“Oh, that’s really thoughtful and nice of you to do that,” he managed to say.

“I’m sorry about dinner, maybe tomorrow? Oh, no wait, I’ve got this craft class I’m doing with Willow at the rec center tomorrow night and an eclectic cooking class with Jenny Giles the night after that.”

Dean let out a deep sigh as he tried to remain optimistic.

“Busy little bee,” he said. “I’m starting to feel like I have start booking some time with you a couple weeks in advance.”

Buffy giggled on the other line for a bit. 

“I always have time for you,” she assured. “This just happens to be a crazy week. Lunch on Friday is looking good, though I’ve got my evaluation with Giles at eleven-fifteen so depending on how long that goes we might have to settle for eating in. Either way, I want to see you so stop in, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Good, it’s a date, I’ll see you then. Bye sweetie.”

The heavy warmth in her tone blew off the tension that had been simmering through his system. He let out a deep breath as he hung up the phone and forced his loathsome thoughts about Tractor Boy out of his mind. 

 

After what seemed like years since he had seen Buffy - but in reality it had been two days, Dean ambled through campus with a bounce in his step as he made his way to the faculty offices a few minutes before lunch hour. He veiled his satisfaction when he spotted Buffy alone in her office, absent of any annoying farm boy company. Buffy caught his eyes and got up from her desk, beaming a warm smile at him as she walked into his arms. 

Dean let out a contented sigh as he clutched Buffy tightly against him. As she embraced him with equal fervor, the uncertainties he had been wrestling with throughout the week began to fade out of his mind. Buffy inched back from him and gave a sweet smile.

“I made a lunch for us,” she revealed. 

Dean drew a giddy smile. “You did? Wow, how do you find the time in between your crafting and cooking classes and counseling young minds and....running for President of the United States?” he joked.

Buffy giggled as she latched onto his hand and guided him out of the faculty offices, steering him toward the lounge. 

“I guess I just have a natural talent for multi-tasking,” she mused.

“Well, you’ll have to give me a lesson or two in that. I can never seem to get anything done at work.”

“You still haven’t hired anyone for the front desk yet?”

Buffy pulled the fridge door open and removed a cloth grocery bag which she set down at a table by the window. 

“Well, I had one woman the agency sent me last week - Gwendolyn Post. She seemed pretty sharp from her resume and kept the office running efficiently.”

Buffy plopped a container in the microwave as she gauged the tint of humor in his expression.

“I sense a ‘but’?”

“Yeah – BUT I walked in on her a couple days ago performing some weird ritual in the stockroom.”

Buffy shot him an odd look. 

“What kind of ritual?”

Dean displayed his bewilderment as the revelation still reeled through his mind.

“The kind you see in horror movies where a kooky chick draws a pentagram in animal blood and chants in an ancient language. I have no idea what in the world she was trying to do but needless to say I told her it wasn’t going to work out. Hopefully, I’m not going to be overrun by rat carcasses next week or anything.”

Buffy gasped in shock. “Oh my gosh, didn’t the agency run a background check on her?”

“Yeah but I don’t think they bothered to ask her ‘do you worship the devil’ on her job questionnaire.”

Dean shook his head in disbelief as Buffy returned to the table with two warm plates of pasta. 

“Mac and cheese?”

Buffy gave a silly smile. “All that talk about my reckless days of youth got me craving one of my favorite childhood dinners.”

Dean leaned over the plate and inhaled the aroma.

“Well, it smells amazing,” he lauded as he dove into the plate.

He sat back after taking several large bites. 

“Wow, that’s tasty.”

“There’s five different kinds of cheeses, sort an adult recipe.”

“Well, they’re all tasty.”

Buffy drew a guilty look. “I have a confession to make though, I didn’t actually make it specifically for lunch, they’re.....leftovers. Sorry it’s not fresh out of the oven.”

Dean shook his head as he finished his bite.

“There’s no reason to be sorry,” he said. “I live on takeout and leftover takeout.”

“So you never cook anything for Sammy?”

“I love him, I don’t want to kill him with my cooking,” he said. “I’ll admit it.”

Buffy snickered loudly as he drew a humbled expression.

“I try but I’m nowhere near your mad skills,” he said.

Dean glanced at his cell phone as it danced along the table in vibration mode. 

“Did you want to get that?”

Dean spied the message screen and shook his head.

“It’s just a text message from Xander,” he imparted. 

Giles strolled into the lounge and drew a smile.

“It smells wonderful in here,” he said.

Giles glanced at the plates of pasta and eyed Buffy.

“Did you make that yourself Buffy?”

Dean read over his text message as a thought came to mind. 

“Say Giles, you got plans tonight?”

Giles poured a cup of hot water and let his tea steep for a minute. 

“Yes, Jenny and I are attending a show in Kansas City,” he answered.

“Oh, what show?”

Giles shifted in his stance and gave an awkward expression.

“Um the uh.....monster truck show,” he said softly.

Buffy blinked in disbelief.

“Did you say monster trucks?” she asked.

Dean chuckled softly. “Wow Giles, I didn’t know you had such a.....passion for watching big Tonka toys getting smashed up.”

Seeing the color rising in Giles’s cheeks, Dean stopped laughing.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to poke fun at you, it just caught me off guard. I guess there’s a lot about you I didn’t know.”

Giles cleared his throat as he picked up his mug of tea.

“Why did you inquire about my plans?”

“Oh, Xander’s having a poker game tonight and we’re a man short, at least one that can actually play so he wanted me to ask around.”

Dean noticed Buffy waving at someone behind him. He swung his sights to see Riley strutting toward the fridge. 

Giles glanced at his watch and flashed an apologetic expression.

“I am due for a conference call,” he said. “Have a good weekend all of you.”

Riley yanked out a sack lunch from the fridge and strolled over to the vending machine full of soft drinks. 

“Well, I’ve exhausted my list of options,” Dean remarked as he set his phone aside.

“So you’re having a guys’ night, huh?”

“Yeah, in Xander’s man cave,” Dean cracked with a smile. “It’s actually more of a fan boy’s fantasy palace.”

“Oh, so are you supposed to go in like, a Star Wars costume?” 

Buffy giggled for a bit until she noticed Dean drawing a mild scowl.

“Actually, he mentioned it but I put my foot down,” he said. “I only suit up for Halloween and that’s just because I get pie.”

Buffy shook her head in amusement. 

“Oh Dean, you are no fun at all.”

Dean heaved a sigh when he saw his phone twirling around. He peered at the message screen and drew a look of concern. 

“Sorry, it’s Cass at work. He wouldn’t call on my break unless it was important.”

Buffy flashed him a forgiving smile as she pushed her chair out.

“It’s okay, do you want some more?”

Buffy held out the container of pasta. 

“No, I’m stuffed but thank you.”

Buffy picked up his empty plate and smiled sweetly before walking away.

“Hey Cass, what’s going on?”

 

Buffy paused by a table where Riley was eating.

“That’s a very sad looking sandwich,” Buffy said with an exaggerated mope.

Riley drew a humbled smile.

“I didn’t really have time to make anything, been so busy lately so I just threw something together. All I had was bread and cheese.”

 

Dean tried to focus on his business call despite the animated conversation going on in the corner between Buffy and Riley. 

“What? Sorry, Cass, I uh, I didn’t hear you.......”

Dean widened his eyes and bolted straight in his seat.

“That was today?”

Dean frantically flipped through his calendar and shrouded into a self-scolding frown.

“Oh god, I forgot to reschedule......no, don’t send him away, just apologize for me and tell him I’ll be there in about five minutes....Thanks Cass. Bye.”

Dean hurriedly collected his stuff as Buffy noticed the deep dismay on his face. 

“What’s going on?” she asked as he walked over to Riley’s table.

“I had a consultation that I forgot to reschedule,” he moaned. “The guy has been sitting in my office for the past fifteen minutes and Cass was the only who noticed that I wasn’t there.”

Dean shook his head in disbelief.

“Anyway, he drove out all the way from Topeka on a referral so I’m kicking myself that I flaked on him.”

Buffy drew a comforting hand to his arm.

“I’m sure he’ll understand,” she said. “You’re a busy guy running a garage full of chuckleheads, right?”

Dean broke out of his dismay and chuckled unexpectedly.

“Yeah, yeah right,” he said. “I need to get going. Lunch was awesome.”

Buffy pushed off her toes and gave Dean a sweet kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll talk to you later,” she said.

Dean headed off toward the door when Buffy called back to him. He swung around in the doorway as she rushed over. She gently ushered him down the hall and walked with him.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of it until now, but why don’t you ask Riley to this guys night thing at Xander’s?”

Dean veiled his disapproval as Buffy guided him out of the building.

“Riley,” he said, covering the annoyance in his tone.

“Yeah, I mean, this is a great chance for him to meet some guys in this town around his age and since you said you were a man short, it kind of works out, don’t you think?”

Dean absorbed the eagerness in her expression and swallowed back his reluctance.

“Uh.....yeah, but, it’s uh, pretty last minute,” he said. “I’m sure he’s already got plans.....tuning up that tractor of his.”

Dean forced an amused smile over his face as an unsettling feeling kicked in his stomach.

“Actually, he’s been slaving away with home projects since he’s been here so it’d be nice if he could just take a night off and hang out with a bunch of his ‘buds’ you know?”

Buffy giggled and drew a silly smile as Dean nearly choked on his immense chagrin.

“Buds?” 

“Yeah,” Buffy said as she giggled. “You could have like a ‘bro date’.”

“A....bro...date?”

Dean masked the repulsion swimming around in his throat as he exaggerated a look of wonder.

“Yeah, you know, two guy friends just hanging, drinking beer and doing guy stuff on a bro date.”

Dean nodded as he reached his car.

“Oh,” was all he could force out.

“So should I mention it to him?”

Dean took in her immensely endearing smile and felt his heavy reservations quickly breaking away the longer she gazed at him. How could he say no to that beautiful face? It didn’t even seem possible to say the word to her since whenever he looked at her, his brain went numb and reality drifted away. 

Buffy brushed a hand over his, stirring him out of his daze.

“Uh, okay, yeah, sure,” he replied. “But I uh.....won’t get my hopes up if he can’t make our, ‘bro date’.”

He pried an overly enthusiastic expression over his face. Buffy lit up with a bright smile.

“Great. I’ll talk to him when I get back inside,” she said. “You’ll have so much fun tonight, I just know it. Riley is really a great guy.”

Buffy quickly retreated and waved to him before she skipped back into the school.

“Yeah, so I’ve heard,” Dean muttered as he heaved a sigh. 

As he climbed into the car, he shook his head in disbelief.

“What did I get myself into?”

When he pulled out of the parking lot, he shook his head with more fervor.

“Buds,” he groaned. 

Picturing that smiley, perfect, corn fed face in his mind made Dean deepen his scowl.

“Me and CornBoy as ‘bros’....,” he mumbled. “Never work.”

 

Later that night, Dean parked along the curb hugging Xander’s house and sighed when he noticed Riley pulling up behind him. 

“Guess he didn’t get lost,” he said in disappointment.

As Sammy unclipped his seatbelt and climbed out of the back of the car, Riley walked over and flashed Dean a friendly smile.

“Who’s that daddy?”

Dean swallowed his inner grumblings. He pulled a polite smile over his face as Riley perched on the curb.

“This is an old friend of Buffy’s,” Dean stated. “Say hi Sammy.”

Sammy waved politely. Dean maintained his polite smile as Riley acknowledged Sammy.

“You made it,” Dean uttered. “Cool.”

Riley tucked a six pack of beer under his arm and nodded.

“I was ‘worried’ that I wasn’t thorough enough in my directions,” Dean remarked, widening his polite smile. “But I was pretty distracted at work when you called, so ‘sorry’ if you got lost.”

Riley shook his head as Dean took Sammy’s hand.

“I have a pretty good sense of direction.”

“Of course you do,” Dean muttered through a fake grin.

“Thanks for the invite Dean,” Riley said with a genuinely friendly smile. “I wasn’t really sure if I’d be welcome when Buffy mentioned it was a group of your friends. I didn’t want to impose but she insisted I go. She’s been so great, so welcoming to me, you know?”

Riley cracked a joking smile as Dean rang the doorbell.

“But not in any way you’d have to be worried about,” he quipped.

Dean roped in his heavy ire and pushed a casual expression over his face.

“Worried? Why would I be worried? I’ve got nothing to be worried about,” he said emphatically. 

Anya swung the door open holding Jack in her arms. Sammy bounced with excitement as Anya let them all inside. 

“The men are downstairs,” Anya said. 

Dean fished out his wallet and handed Anya a few bills.

“This is for Sammy’s portion of food and any games, if he spends it all and you have to buy him more, just hit me up for reimbursement later, it’ll come out of all my poker winnings anyway.”

Dean felt his pretend smile shifting into a genuine one of amusement until Riley jumped in with his own.

“If you can manage to steal the pot away from me,” he cracked.

Dean gripped Sammy’s hand a little tighter as he felt his blood burning with annoyance.

“Oh, I thought you said you played but not very well.”

Riley shrugged. “I guess I was being modest.”

“Ow daddy, you’re holding my hand too tight,” Sammy moaned.

Dean widened his eyes in alarm as he released his grip on Sammy. He crouched down and frantically rubbed Sammy’s hand, beaming a deeply remorseful look at him.

“God Sammy, I am so very sorry I hurt you,” he lamented.

Dean massaged Sammy’s little hand as his regret thickened. He let out several heavy breaths as he gently gripped Sammy by the shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated firmly. “Don’t ever let me do that again. If I hurt you like that, you call Uncle Bobby, okay?”

Sammy frowned with confusion. “I’m okay daddy.”

Dean let out another breath as he clutched Sammy in comfort. After a minute, he released Sammy and patted him off to the kitchen to meet with Anya.

 

Dean heaved a sigh as he made his way down to the basement. He heard retro rock playing in the background as he noticed Riley lingering at the foot of the stairs. Xander shot to his feet, wearing a Klingon outfit over his Bermuda pants.

“Hey! You made it! Let the man games begin!”

Dean looked around and saw Oz playing pool solo as Andrew unzipped his Star Trek robe and grinned. Xander yanked his mask off and ran over, holding his hand out to Riley.

“I’m Xander and welcome to my man palace, where you can do anything you want ‘nag free’!” he boasted.

Riley shook his hand and held out the six pack of beer. Xander eagerly took it and set it on the fridge as Andrew wandered over, wearing a dark brown suit and matching tie. He carried a tray of appetizers and offered it to Dean and Riley.

“Would you two care for some puff pastries? I’ve got Crab with a divine Brie and Spinach with low fat cream cheese and a smidge of oregano.”

Andrew eyed Riley with a wide smile. Riley politely declined and took a look around. Andrew pushed the tray into Dean. 

“How about you Dean? Something to whet your appetite? I know how much you love food.”

Dean rolled his eyes over the small puff pastries and drew a look of disgust.

“Uh, no thanks.”

Andrew picked up a puff and held it up to Dean.

“You should really try the spinach,” he suggested. “It’s good for you and delicious as well.”

Dean stared at the spinach puff as if it were a mud Popsicle. 

“Seriously, I’ll pass.”

Andrew spun around and picked up another tray.

“Well, how about one of my tasty balls?”

Dean widened his eyes as Andrew spun back around to display a tray of strange looking round bites.

“They’re a mixture of gourmet meat,” Andrew explained with a proud smile.

“I uh, already ate.”

Xander and Oz strolled over to Dean and handed him a beer. They huddled in a corner as Riley looked over all the collectibles on the shelves.

“So that’s Riley,” Xander said.

“Yeah, he’s pretty hard to stand,” Dean remarked. “So do your best to be polite.”

“You don’t look too happy dude,” Oz noted.

“Buffy sweet talked you into bringing him along, didn’t she?” Xander guessed.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Xander chuckled as he patted Dean on the back. 

“You’re either a sucker or crazy about the girl,” Xander said. 

Xander fetched the poker set and started shuffling cards, waving the guys over. After a half hour, Xander and Oz folded several times leaving Riley and Dean to play it out. Xander watched in awe as the poker chips in the middle of the table grew taller. Andrew circled the table with more appetizers. He paused by Dean who was immersed in taking down Riley.

“Sausage?” 

Dean blinked out of his concentration and threw Andrew an annoyed look as he held out a plate of gourmet sausages.

“No, thanks,” Dean grunted. 

Andrew shrugged as he moved around. Xander eagerly scooped up a bunch off the plate and shoved them in his mouth. 

“Oh dude! These weenies are the bomb!” he moaned.

Xander gulped and drew a sheepish smile as he met Dean’s annoyed glare.

“Sorry.”

Dean let out an impatient breath as Riley took his time.

“Pay or play Finn,” Dean said in his most polite tone.

Riley gave a modest smile as he laid out his hand of all red diamonds. Xander widened his eyes.

“Is there a toilet around ‘cuz someone’s got a flush!” 

Xander laughed at his own joke as he downed more beer. Riley glanced at Dean who let the reveal linger.

“What do you got?” Xander asked in anticipation.

Dean flashed a smirk as he dropped his hand out for display.

“House of pretty ladies,” he boasted.

Xander whistled at the four queens in Dean’s poker hand. Riley shook his head in amazement as Dean collected the pot.

“You are quite the shark Dean,” Riley remarked jokingly. “I am no match for you.”

“That’s right, you’re not,” Dean conceded repugnantly.

Riley stared at him for a minute before Dean feigned a jocular expression.

“Poker’s just not your game,” he said with a dismissive smile. “Ante up gentlemen.”

As the next round started, Andrew brought over another tray of appetizers.

“Meat quiches anyone?”

Andrew set the tray on the edge of the table by Xander. He pulled up a chair next to Dean and clutched a large accordion file.

“I’m so glad you came tonight Dean,” he chimed. “I have been so anxious to show you some samples.”

Dean only half listened as he perused his cards and eyed the guys.

“Samples of what?”

Andrew scooted closer to Dean and yanked out a big three ring binder. He eagerly opened his binder and removed a variety of invitations from a clear sheet. He fanned the samples out next to Dean.

“I have these in many colors, ecru, ivory, pearl.....and any of the fonts can be substituted.”

Dean stared at the invitations and widened his eyes in apprehension.

“Uh.......invitations for.....what?”

“Oh, goodness, did you already order them? Well, I have formal rehearsal dinner invitations and ones for the bachelor party as well.”

Andrew flipped to another page and tapped on the display of colored stationary squares.

“I have very masculine tones for someone like you,” he stated. “I’d suggest these bold blues with a variety of accents like black and red if you like.....”

Andrew fervently referred to another page in his binder.

“What date have you picked?”

Andrew frowned as he swept through several pages and yanked out a couple of fabric swatches. He placed three swatches over Dean’s shoulder and studied them. Dean stared at the squares of fabric on his shoulder as if they were aliens that had just landed from space.

“Hmm, if you’re going for summer, you will need a cool material, I’d recommend a light tan tuxedo.....”

Dean fumbled with his hand as he noticed the collective stares from the guys. Xander snorted through his beer as Dean shifted very uncomfortably in his seat. 

“......Tux....edo? What?”

“Oh, are you not going to be so formal?” Andrew asked. “Is it a destination wedding?”

Andrew gasped with glee as he thumbed to another page. Dean fidgeted some more as he felt his body draining of blood.

“A beach wedding would be lovely!” Andrew lauded. “I haven’t done a beach wedding!”

Dean cleared his throat as Andrew pulled out a plastic tape measure and got to his feet. Andrew fervently began taking measurements and rattled off several questions.

“What about your linens? Are you doing buffet or sit down? What kind of flowers are you having? How many of your groomsmen do you have?”

While Riley and Oz looked on with curious expressions, Xander laughed hysterically at Dean’s face going sheet white. Dean rapidly tugged at the collar of his shirt and eyed Xander.

“Hey Xan, would you flip the air on man, it’s like a desert in here.”

Xander continued to chuckle as Andrew rattled off more questions.

“What location have you selected? I can see if I can secure the country club by the lake....”

Andrew made a frame with his fingers.

“Oh, I can see it in my head, an aisle scattered with red roses, no, white tulip petals.....a string quartet, your lovely lady walking down the aisle at precisely the time the sun is half into the horizon so the beams bounce off the water.....”

Andrew sniffed getting very emotional.

“The courtyard is dressed with ribbons and organza.....you can have butler passed appetizers then a buffet for the reception and then cake.....CAKE!”

Andrew pulled up a huge tin lunchbox and set out several small pieces of cake. Xander widened his eyes in delight as he looked at all the cake. 

“I brought many samples for you, this is red velvet, Dutch chocolate with a vanilla mousse, or you can have raspberry filling....the popular carrot cake....”

Andrew picked up a sample and tried to feed it to Dean who was bleeding with cold sweat now. He widened his eyes in complete horror and staggered out of his seat, nearly tumbling to the floor to get away from Andrew.

“Woah, woah, woah, woah!” he cried as he backed away from the poker table.

He sucked in several breaths and wiped the cold sweat from his face as he noticed the collective stares deepening.

“I appreciate your......thoughtfulness Andrew but it’s really too early to start planning......stuff.”

Andrew moped in deep disappointment.

“I was under the impression that this girl wasn’t one of your usuals,” he moaned. 

“She isn’t,” Dean affirmed. “But that doesn’t mean I want to rush into things.”

“She’s the one,” Xander blurted.

Andrew grinned wide with glee.

“Well, then we must have the most beautiful wedding this town has ever seen!” he roared as he danced around for a minute. “I have not planned a real, classy wedding in such a long time. And yours is going to be completely amazing!”

Andrew picked up his binder and flipped through it again. Dean shot Xander a conspiratorial look. Xander looked around before he settled his sights on Riley.

“Uh, uh.....so uh Riley, don’t know much about you, tell me more. Dean said you’re a.......a..........”

Xander fished around for something nice to say and took notice of the UCLA logo on Riley’s polo shirt pocket.

“A football guy? UCLA huh? That’s a good school.”

“It had its perks,” Riley admitted. “Can’t beat the sunshine and ocean.”

“Oh yeah,” Xander exalted. “So um.....so why aren’t you a pro?”

“Blew out my knee.”

“Oh,” Xander said as he scratched his head. “What made you come to Kansas of all places?”

Riley shrugged as he folded his poker hand. Oz threw his hand down and got up to get another beer. Dean glanced at Andrew who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Hey Oz, how about some pool man?”

Oz nodded as Dean darted over to the pool table and set up a game. 

“Stroke of luck,” Riley continued. “My wife and I have been wanting to settle back into the Midwest.”

“Oh! Yeah! That’s right, Dean mentioned you’re married but um, she’s not here?”

“Yeah, she spends about eight to ten months out of the year in Africa, working with the Red Cross organization, moving medical and food supplies into very poor villages.”

Andrew drew his attention to Riley, genuinely hooked by his story.

“Wow, Africa,” Xander said. “That’s gotta be tough not having your woman around. How do you deal?”

“I find things to do,” Riley answered. “Every so often, I’m able to go out there and help her and we talk as often as possible when she’s in a place that actually has phone lines.”

“Did you wear a tight khaki uniform?” Andrew asked.

Riley eyed Andrew with an odd look.

“No, we just wear the insignia on our arm.”

“Did you have to tackle a lion?” Andrew asked with a bright smile.

“Um, no but I did help deliver a baby rhino once,” Riley revealed.

Dean took pause when he thought his hearing was funky. 

“Wow,” Xander said. “That sounds like it could have gotten hairy. Rhinos aren’t the nicest creatures.”

“No, but I just told the mother that I wasn’t going to harm her or her offspring.”

“Told her?”

 

“I sort of have a way with animals.”

Dean rolled his eyes and groaned deeply in his throat.

“Anyway, that wasn’t as hairy as when the floods hit the basin and a tribal village was almost wiped out. I helped a lot of the natives evacuate.”

Dean drew a sardonic smile. “I bet you help old ladies across the street too, don’t you, RI?”

“From time to time.”

Dean rolled his eyes out of Riley’s sights.

“I did carry an old lady across a raging river.”

“To get to the other side, right? Ri?”

“Well, yes, she got cutoff from her family. The river washed out the road so I picked her up and got her back safely. Her son later thanked me in a traditional native ceremony.”

“Oh, what did that involve? War paint and like, blood sacrifice?” Xander joked.

“Well, you do drink blood of the sacred bird as a blessing for good fortune and long life.....”

Dean shook his head as he made his shot.

“Do you speak any Swahili?” Andrew asked. “I have always wanted to learn, to absorb more worldly culture.”

“I did learn a few phrases in the native language.”

“Oh, let’s hear something,” Andrew encouraged.

“Yeah, let’s,” Dean cracked dryly. 

Riley let out a breath and smiled modestly.

“Well, it’s been quite awhile, I’m sure I’m rusty.”

Riley let out another breath before he rattled off a very long phrase for a minute.

“What does that mean?” Xander asked.

“Hello, it is a nice day.”

Xander widened his eyes in fascination as Dean tried to focus on his pool game with Oz.

 

Several hours later, after Andrew, Oz and Riley left, Dean helped Xander clean up the basement. Xander went around collecting trash as Dean worked on putting the game sets away.

“Where did the time go?” he moaned. “I was having too much fun. That was fun wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, with the exception of a few.....things, I did have fun.”

Xander nudged Dean in the ribs as he stopped by the poker table. 

“You were Mr. Squirmy when Andrew cornered you with all that wedding stuff,” he cracked.

“That was one of those ‘things’,” Dean lamented. “Anyway, what’d you think about Finn? Annoying to the extreme just like I told you, right? Right?”

Xander shrugged as he stuffed a bunch of beer cans in a trash bag.

“I don’t know Dean, I uh.....I kind of like him. He’s......cool.”

Dean stared at Xander in shock before he shrouded a frown of offense.

“What? Are you serious? You think Tractor Boy is cool?”

Xander gulped under the weight of Dean’s assessing glare.

“Uh, he’s just done so many amazing things dude,” Xander reasoned. “And I really intended to hate him as your best bud but when he started sharing his life story I.....I was sucked in you know? I can’t help but like him not to mention, he’s a nice guy.”

Dean deepened his glare and shoved the poker set aside.

“Dude, you are not looking out for your bro!”

Xander drew a sheepish look. “I tried to hate him Dean, I really tried but he’s.....infectious.”

“Yeah, like a disease! I am REALLY hurt and disappointed you like that guy,” Dean moaned.

“Sorry.....Jealousy,” Xander tossed.

Dean threw a peevish frown. 

“I’m not jealous. Why should I be jealous? Just because he delivered a baby rhino and drank bird blood and trudged through the mud barefoot carrying the tribal leader’s mother across a raging river DOES NOT MAKE HIM COOL!” he snapped. “And seriously dude, what was up with that discussion about his exercise regimen? I mean, you never ask me about my regimen.”

Xander gulped as Dean questioned him sharply with his eyes.

“Why don’t you man? Why don’t you ask me about MY regimen huh? Do you think that guy is better lookin’ than me?”

Dean narrowed his eyes on Xander for a long minute.

“God, I’m beginning to wonder if Nelson was perfectly nauseating and cut from stone too,” he grumbled.

“Nelson?”

“Buffy’s high school boyfriend,” Dean explained before he huffed. “Come on be honest with me I’m way hotter than ‘Ri’ right?”

Dean posed in front of Xander with a genuinely curious expression.

“Come on Xan, just tell me the truth,” he moaned. “I mean check out this ass!”

Dean swung around and waved it at Xander.

“There is no jiggle at all!” he barked. “Chicks have built altars of worship for this ass!”

Dean backed up toward Xander.

“Look at it man, it is in no way flabby! It’s way better than some ex-UCLA quarterback right?”

Xander stamped his eyes shut as Dean got closer.

“And dude.....”

Dean flipped up his tee shirt and smacked on his torso as he edged closer to Xander. 

“If you were a chick, you’d be all over this, right? I mean, toss a quarter off it, it won’t budge, it’s a table of pleasure, take a good look......” he encouraged loudly.

Xander kept his eyes pried shut. 

“Dude, you’re not looking!”

Xander slowly lifted one eyelid open to see Dean glaring at him with annoyance, holding his shirt up, exposing his chest. 

“You’d want this over some tractor riding, old lady carrying, Rhino Whisperer right?”

Xander staggered back as Dean drifted closer, completely pulling off his shirt.

“Feel it man, and tell me in your honest opinion that my body is way better than CornBoy’s! Come on.”

Dean reached for Xander’s hand. Xander wedged himself into a corner and threw his hands up.

“Dude! I love ya man, you’re my best friend in the whole world so PLEASE, please do not take any more of your clothes off and make me molest you! We’re in the MAN CAVE for god sakes!” Xander cried.

Dean waited expectantly for an answer as Xander flashed his exasperation. 

“You need to talk to Buffy man,” he said. “Tell her how you feel and then put this jealous-insecure guy bit to rest cuz I don’t like him!”

Xander cowered in the corner as Dean still remained shirtless in front of him. Xander snapped his eyes shut.

“Come on dude, you’re starting to make me flash back to the days of grade school when you used to stuff me in lockers and take my lunch money.”

Dean absorbed Xander’s sheer horror and let out a breath before he backed off.

“Sorry man.”

Xander slowly opened his eyes and sighed in relief when he saw Dean putting his shirt back on.

“I don’t know what came over me,” he moaned. 

“I’ll forgive you as long as you promise to never corner me about your hotness again,” Xander said sternly.

Dean sunk with guilt as Xander shuffled out of the corner and went to the fridge. He popped the top of a beer and took a long sip. 

“So you do think I’m hot?” Dean asked with a pleased smirk.

Xander sighed heavily.

“You’re asking the wrong person, you need to address this issue with someone blonder and thinner and NOT me man,” he groaned. “Or at least ask my wife – you know she’ll be brutally honest.”

Xander followed Dean upstairs as Anya drifted into the house with Jack and Sammy. After Dean left with Sammy, Anya gauged Xander’s look of astonishment. Xander imparted the details of the embarrassing confrontation as Anya frowned with annoyance.

“There was nudity and you didn’t come and get me?”

 

Late Saturday morning, Dean shuttled Sammy over to Ellen’s for an overnight stay. Ellen snatched Sammy up as soon as he ran through the door. She eyed Dean briefly and nodded toward the garage with a stern look.

“I need ya to change the oil in the truck,” she said. “And give it a wash too.”

Ellen ushered Sammy upstairs as Dean peeled off his jacket.

“Gee, it’s nice to see you too,” he grumbled.

An hour later, Dean walked through the side door in the garage and ran into Jo in the living room.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were here.”

Dean wiped his hands on a rag as Jo looked him over.

“Mom put you to work huh?” she asked with an amused smile.

“Doesn’t she always? Where’s Cass?”

“At home, he’s painting the nursery,” Jo answered. “I can’t be around the fumes so I’m staying here overnight.”

“Cass has to spend the night alone after doing hard labor? That’s harsh.”

Jo shrugged. 

“He called it the Lord’s wish so he had no complaints.”

Dean chuckled as he shook his head. 

“Such a workhorse,” he said. “Have you picked a name yet?”

Jo shook her head as she picked at a whole wheat bagel.

“We’re still talking about it.”

Dean pivoted toward the stairs before a thought crossed his mind. 

“Say Jo, since you’re here, can I ask you something?”

Jo rolled her eyes. 

“Yeah, Dean I still like REO Speedwagon,” she groaned.

Dean burst into mad laughter for a second.

“No, no, that wasn’t the question but thanks for letting me know you still like lame music.”

“Hey, they can really rock.”

Dean scoffed. “There are so many things wrong with that statement. Anyway, let’s not start this up again or I’ll be ribbing you shamelessly all night.”

Dean circled around and settled into an armchair. 

“What did you want to ask me?”

“Well, I was hoping to get a.....chick’s perspective about something.”

“Okay, what’s up?”

“When you and Cass first started dating did you ever.....entertain the thought of......dating someone else, or thought that maybe there was....a....I don’t know a better looking, more....talkative guy?”

Jo stared at Dean in deep curiosity for a minute.

“No, not really, we pretty much clicked.”

Dean exuded his amazement. 

“Seriously? I mean, to be honest, I’ve wondered many times what you’re first date was like in terms of conversation topics – ‘hey Cass, so you service cars huh?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘What do you in your spare time?’ ‘I serve the Lord.’ ‘Any interests other than church and cars?’ ‘I read.’ ‘Read what?’ ‘The lord’s literature.’

Dean chuckled as he sat back in his seat.

“I can see how he really won you over,” he cracked.

After another second of laughing, Dean noticed Jo studying him curiously. He cleared his throat as Jo narrowed her eyes.

“You’d be surprised at how much Cass can open up,” Jo remarked. “He’s got a sense of humor you’ve never seen.”

Dean widened his eyes in disbelief. 

“Are you serious? Cass has a sense of humor? I can’t imagine him telling jokes....unless it’s like, ‘a priest, a prophet and a devout man walk into a bar’....”

Dean ripped with amusement again before he fell under Jo’s assessing gaze.

“Was there something other than my relationship that you wanted to ask me about?”

“Yeah, sorry, I’m getting off topic,” he replied. 

Dean took pause to collect his mess of thoughts as he rapped on the chair arms with his fingers.

“Is this about you and Buffy?” Jo gauged.

Dean stopped rapping on the chair arms and glanced at Jo in surprise.

“Yeah, uh, was it that obvious?”

“Well, you’ve never really asked me for a ‘chick’s’ perspective before,” Jo pointed. “So, things going well between you two?”

“Yeah, yeah, things are great.”

“Good, cuz you know mom’ll whup your ass if you screw things up with her. Bobby too.”

Dean nodded and heaved a breath. “I know that. That’s why I’m asking for a little advice here. Tell me something, how did you know.....or when or....”

Dean let out a deep sigh as his thoughts suddenly blanked.

“How did I know I was in love with Cass?”

“Uh, yeah. How did you......”

Jo shaded with an amused smile. “I’ve heard some cute stories about you at the town hall meeting last week.”

Dean gasped in horror. “What? What stories? In what way made them ‘cute’? Am I six or something? Geez.”

Jo chuckled this time as Dean squirmed a little in his seat.

“Why am I the topic at a town hall meeting?”

“You weren’t,” Jo stated. “But I heard the gossip hounds chatting about you at the refreshment table, how you two are just the cutest couple in all of Kansas, like teenagers just laughing and smiling all the time. To answer your question, it’s obvious you already are. And Buffy is totally crazy about you.”

“You think?”

Jo flashed him an odd look. “Yeah Dean, can’t you tell?”

Dean recalled the past few days of dealing with Riley and glanced at Jo with slight doubt.

“Well, when certain people aren’t around, I’d like to believe so,” he admitted.

“What do you mean certain people?”

“Uh, I don’t know, certain......annoyingly perfect dudes from her past,” he grunted softly.

Jo studied Dean for a minute before she exuded her shock.

“Wow, never heard the jealous side of you before,” she said. “But, whoever this guy is, it doesn’t matter, you shouldn’t let him get to you because Dean, I can tell you for certain that Buffy has only one guy in her sights and that’s you. She couldn’t stop raving about you when I met her. So, I’m guessing you haven’t told her how you feel?”

“No, not really,” he admitted. “I was going to, but uh....certain people interfered.”

“Well, you’ve got a date tonight right? So, what are you waiting for?”

“I don’t know,” he said as he fidgeted in his seat. “How’d the whole thing go down with you and Cass? Who said it first?”

Jo chased the last bite of her bagel with some juice before she answered.

“Well, Cass did. I believe what he said was, ‘I feel great affection for you that equates my affection for the Lord.”

Dean blinked rapidly in mass disbelief before he broke into an amused grin.

“Gee, Cass has such a way with words.”

“I liked it,” Jo said. “It was unique and memorable.”

“Yeah, I’ll say.”

Dean glanced at the clock and let out a long breath.

“I need to get going,” he said as he got up. “Thanks for the advice.”

“Sure. And Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“If you want to make a gesture to her that you’re serious about her and the relationship, give her a drawer.”

Dean perched in the doorway of the living room and cocked an eyebrow.

“A drawer? That’s the universal sign in the dating world that I want her to ignore annoyingly perfect dudes?”

Jo shrugged as she drew a smile. “I dated a guy in a college and after awhile, when I wasn’t really sure how he felt about me, he cleaned out some space in his closet and a drawer in his dresser. He said it was so I could spend more time with him and I was always over at his place anyway. So, just think about it.”

“A drawer huh?”

 

“I appreciated the gesture, I think Buffy would to,” Jo assessed.

Dean absorbed the advice as he pivoted toward the kitchen. 

“Thanks.”

 

Several hours later, as the sun weaned into the horizon, Dean hopped down the walkway to Buffy’s house, reviewing a set of thoughts he had ironed out earlier. After feeling his nerves tightening as he waited on the porch, he forced out several breaths. 

Buffy swung the door open and beamed an affectionate smile as she let Dean in. He glanced at the apron tied around her and swiftly pulled her into his arms and kissed her for a long minute. When he finally broke, she gasped in surprise but gave a pleasant smile.

“Uh wow, that was a new way of saying hello.”

Dean flashed a smirk as he clutched Buffy tighter to him.

“Well, I was just going by the message you were giving me.”

Buffy crooked her eyes in confusion. 

“Huh? What message?”

Dean parted from her slightly and pointed to the three words on her apron.

“Kiss the cook,” he cracked. “Since you’re slaving over the stove to make me a meal, it would be extremely rude of me not to pay my respects to the cook. So, let me pay you a little more respect.”

Buffy shaded red as she took in his silly smile. He tucked her back within his arms and planted a long kiss on her mouth. Buffy let out a contented sigh as she kissed him back with equal affection. She had missed him immensely even though she had seen him the previous day. She felt her toes rapidly melting into the floor as her body caught on fire the longer the kiss lingered. She clung tighter to Dean, missing the stroke of his hand through her hair, missing the strength of his arms as he held her against him, missing the way he made her feel like she was a galaxy away from Earth. 

She let out another soft sigh as Dean ran his hands along her back, stirring up shocks of arousal through her system. She reluctantly broke from the kiss and heaved several breaths for air. She took in the intense flare of desire in his eyes as she gave an apologetic smile.

“I um, need to check on dinner.”

She stepped back as he took off his jacket and eyed the dining table dressed with candles and cloth napkins tucked inside shiny rings. 

“Make yourself comfortable,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”

Buffy ambled through a glass door to the patio and swung open her small grill resting on a tabletop. As smoke billowed into the air, she heard the door sliding open. Dean stepped out and inhaled the crisp Kansas air along with the tantalizing aroma wafting from the grill. He glanced at the grill and widened his eyes as Buffy sprinkled some seasoning onto two cuts of steak. 

“Wow, a girl who can grill,” he exalted. “You are awesome in so many ways. I can’t even begin to tell you.”

He edged up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she turned a couple of vegetable slices over on the grill. He planted a kiss on her temple as he inhaled more of the delectable aroma.

“I haven’t used my grill since I moved here and with snow expected to hit next week, I thought this was a very small window to break it out. Plus, the whole foods market had these on special so, it was pretty much a sign that I had to make you a steak dinner tonight,” she moaned with a silly smile.

“Oh, well if you were forced to make me a steak dinner, I’ll try to enjoy it as much as possible.”

Buffy giggled as she dropped the steaks on a plate and turned the grill off. Dean followed her back into the kitchen as she swung the oven door open and pulled out two baked potatoes wrapped in foil.

“Can I do anything......simple?”

Buffy snickered as she took his apprehensive look. 

“You can crack the wine open for me,” she said.

Dean followed her sights to the counter where a bottle of red wine begged to be open. As Buffy set the steaks and potatoes out along with fixings, Dean worked on the cork of the wine bottle. After settling down at the dining table, Buffy pulled off her apron and tucked it aside. 

“Oh, no more kissing the cook,” Dean lamented with a sad expression.

Buffy snickered again as she noticed his empty glass. She pushed to her feet and took out a bottle of beer, preparing to pour it in the glass. Dean gently took the bottle from her and nudged the glass aside as she went back to the kitchen. She set out a basket of rolls resting in a cloth napkin. 

“Wow, this dinner is getting kind of fancy. I feel way underdressed at this restaurant,” he joked.

Buffy drew a humble smile as she finally took her seat.

“I guess I went a little overboard with the setting,” she said. “I haven’t really had anyone over for dinner since Thanksgiving.”

“Oh, well Sammy and I are always free,” he said. “And I’m sure Sammy would rather eat your cooking than mine.”

Dean cut into his steak and took a big bite. He let out a deep moan as he chewed.

“I’ve thought about having you two over but I don’t want to take away from father-son time.”

Dean paused to wash his bite with beer and wipe his mouth.

“One, fantastic steak - better than anything you could get at Chuck’s and two – you’d never take away from time with me and Sammy, to be honest you enhance it,” he remarked with a smile. “So have us over as often as you want.”

“Okay,” Buffy replied with a sweet smile.

She picked up a dish of grilled vegetables and spooned out a portion.

“I’m not even going to bother offering you any,” she teased.

Dean dove into the bake potato piled high with fixings as Buffy picked at her plate.

“So, Riley said he had fun on your bro date,” she cracked. 

Dean stopped devouring his potato when a blast of nausea rumbled through his stomach.

“Uh, really? So did I,” he forced out.

As the events of the night at Xander’s replayed through his mind, he felt the beads of trepidation gathering in his throat. He feigned a casual look as he went back to eating.

“So did he say anything about what went on, you know like, embarrassing stories or....situations?”

Buffy crooked her eyebrows in curiosity as she finished her bite.

“No, not really. He just said he felt very welcome and liked your friends, oh and he said Sammy seemed like a nice kid.”

Dean stared at Buffy in disbelief. “Oh. So he said nothing but good things huh?”

Buffy smiled brightly. 

“Yeah, I told you he was a good guy.”

Dean veiled his disgruntled frown. 

“Yeah, he....sure is.”

He shook his head when Buffy turned her eyes to the kitchen. 

“You want another potato? There’s half a steak left too.”

Dean shoved the last of his steak into his mouth and declined, patting his stomach.

“There’s no more room to party in there,” he said. “But that was the best steak dinner I’ve had, and cheap too.”

He chuckled as Buffy collected their plates and a few of the empty side dishes. When he settled down, he simply admired her as she walked back and forth to the table picking up dishes. She threw him a sweet smile when she noticed he was watching her in silence. After throwing the dishes in the sink, she took out a pie plate and let the oven warm up. 

“Another beer?” she asked when she came back to the table. 

“Maybe in a bit,” he answered. 

Dean let out a deep breath to stave off his nerves as he pooled his thoughts together. 

“Okay, let me pop the pie in the oven.”

Buffy quickly shuffled to the oven and slipped the pie inside.

“How long will that take?”

“The pie? Um, about an hour, why? Did you find room for something now? I could whip up something quicker if you want,” she remarked as she approached him.

Dean draped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap.

“No, I uh, I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said.

Buffy absorbed the heavy sincerity in his expression and drew a look of concern.

“Oh, okay, is um....is something wrong?” she asked with a tint of dread in her tone.

Dean shook his head firmly. 

“No, everything is good, great.”

He beamed an assuring smile as he pushed away a lock of hair hanging over her face. He inhaled a deep breath and took in the sparkle of her eyes as she gazed at him intently. After a temporary lapse in thought, he drew a sheepish smile as the silence drifted on for a time.

“Uh, I seemed to have forgotten what I wanted to say,” he confessed.

He widened his eyes in incredulousness as Buffy raked a hand through his hair and flashed a forgiving smile.

“You’re sweet,” he blurted.

Buffy blinked rapidly in surprise before she giggled. 

“That’s what you’ve building my anticipation to say, that I’m sweet? Well, um, thanks.”

As she giggled some more, Dean gulped down his blaring nerves and grasped his candid thoughts. 

“No, no, that’s not what I wanted to say, I mean, not that you aren’t sweet, you are, you really are, it’s just.....”

He sunk his eyes down to the floor for a second as he sucked in a long breath. When he met her eyes again, he saw the flare of curiosity burning brightly within.

“Remember when I told you about my dad? That he used to say nasty things to me when I was a kid?”

Buffy briefly displayed a sad look as she nodded.

“Well, that wasn’t all he did – I didn’t want to share this with you back then because I was just getting to know you but now....with the way things are going, I have to.....I need to address something about my past because....”

Dean bit back the flare of anxiety stirring at the base of his throat. 

“Because, I don’t want it to affect the present or the future,” he confessed. 

Buffy gauged the deep dread in his eyes and caressed his cheek. 

“You can tell me anything,” she said softly. “I’m not going to judge you. I hope you know that.”

As she stroked his cheek in heavy comfort, he took her hand and clutched it in his.

“I know,” he affirmed. “It’s just difficult for me to open up this door again, I’ve put it behind me but every now and again, I’m faced with dealing with......the ‘sins of my father’.”

He squeezed her hand as he sucked in another deep breath.

“When I was fourteen, I came home in the middle of the night and my dad was drunk out of his mind, demanded to know where I was, we got in a fight.....he pushed me into a wall, I pushed him back and then.....he hit me – right here – cut it open with his alumni ring....”

Buffy glanced at the faint scar on his right cheekbone as he pointed to it. Her eyes flooded with compassion as she removed her hand and cradled his face. She pressed a loving kiss on the scar as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

“God Dean, I....I didn’t realize it got that bad with your dad,” she cried softly. 

Dean brushed away the tears from her face as he inhaled a breath.

“After that, I never went back to that house. Where I’m going with this is....I never thought I’d ever be like my dad, I swore that I wouldn’t. But, recently, I’ve realized that.....he’s sort of come back to haunt me.”

“What do you mean?”

Dean heaved a sigh as he let all his defenses down. 

“I’d like to believe that I’m pretty laid back now,” he remarked. “That I don’t let my emotions control me the way he did – his grief over my mom ate away at him, and every little thing seemed to set him off and that’s when you really didn’t want to be around him. I guess what I’m trying to say is – I’ve found myself getting a little too wrapped up in some....negative emotions and it’s....unsettling to think that I might.....react the same way he did.”

Buffy shrouded with a look of conviction.

“You could never, ever be like him,” she said. “Unlike your dad, you embrace what you have in your life – Sammy. You have so much love for him.”

“I keep telling myself that and I believed it for awhile but then.....”

Dean shaded with a deeply humbled look.

“I have a confession – I uh....I dropped by that yoga class and saw you with that ponytailed instructor and uh.....it drove me a little nuts to see him bending you in ways that aren’t very um, gentleman like.....and all I could think about was how much I wanted to clock him in the face.....and then uh......then there was your friend Ford.....he was uh....hugging you and stuff and I.....”

Buffy widened her eyes in immense surprise. 

“Are you saying that you.....you got jealous of Lindsay and Ford? So jealous that you wanted to.....hit them?”

Dean studied Buffy for a minute, trying to assess whether she was looking at him in horror or humor.

“Uh.....yeah.....” he admitted with a sheepish expression. “I just didn’t appreciate how – handsy they were with you and....seeing them one right after the other didn’t help these bad feelings I was having. It just made me question whether I had that gene to be....a bastard.....”

Buffy glanced at him in awe as her eyes stayed wide with surprise. After letting the news settle, she drew out a breath and met his fearful eyes.

“But you didn’t hit them,” she said. 

“But I wanted to,” he stressed. “And that’s what scares me is that I could hit a fuse and lose control and.....take a hand to someone.....to Sammy or you....and if that EVER happened, I’d never forgive myself. Never. That’s why I want you to promise me that if I ever do, if I’m dumb enough to do something like that, if I do something that freaks you out – I want you to take Sammy and get as far away from me as possible – and then you send Bobby to kick my ass, okay?”

Buffy gasped when she saw the genuine seriousness in his expression, the deep seated fear glistening in his eyes and the shakiness in his tone. She laced his hands within hers and sniffed back her tears of compassion.

“You could never hurt anyone,” she said firmly. “I see the man you are Dean, I see the kind of father you are, the friend you are and there is not one ounce of bad genes in you. You may share your dad’s blood but you are nothing like him, and you will never be.”

She smiled confidently and continued.

“Just because you lose your temper doesn’t mean you always will,” she emphasized. “Or that you’ll strike out with your fists. It sounds to me like you fought your first impulse even though it’s what you really wanted to do and THAT takes a lot of strength, a lot of love to not act out in a reckless manner. Jealousy is natural in every relationship – but honestly – you really don’t need to be. I’m not going back to yoga because Lindsay’s teaching methods made me uncomfortable and Ford....well, he’s always been a little bold but he understood that I wasn’t interested in him and was respectful of my relationship with you.”

Buffy looked off for a second before glancing down at Dean.

“You didn’t mention Riley. I guess you’re okay with him then.”

“No, not really,” he admitted.

Buffy unexpectedly snickered at his abashed look.

“Oh, what’s wrong with Riley?”

Dean genuinely scoffed. 

“That’s the million dollar question,” he groaned. “That guy seems too perfect – in an – annoying way.”

Buffy giggled loudly in his lap as he deepened his scowl.

“You seriously don’t find him aggravating?”

Buffy roared with more amusement a little longer before settling down.

“Oh Dean,” she sighed. “I kind of like jealous you. I was beginning to think you didn’t have any flaws.”

Dean shaded with a remorseful expression. 

“Sorry. But honestly, Finn gets on my nerves with his farm boy humor.”

Buffy snickered again before she plopped a big kiss on his mouth, catching him off guard. When she parted from him, she drew an amused smile at his complete look of wonder.

“Let me get this straight, I complained and you kissed me? WOW. Why in the world have I been biting my tongue all this time? I could have gotten a lot more of that! What else can I complain about?”

Buffy snuggled in his lap and slipped her hands behind his neck, beaming a heavily affectionate smile upon him.

“You don’t have to think bad thoughts about Lindsay, or Ford, or Riley, they’re just guys, they’re not MY guy,” she stated emphatically. 

She flushed red as she deepened her smile.

“There is only one guy I think the world of, who makes me laugh and smile, who makes me feel comfortable and safe and lighter than air.”

Dean exaggerated a frown. 

“Really? Who is this dude?”

Buffy giggled briefly before she drew a teasing smile.

“Well, he owns his own auto shop, has a great kid that I adore, likes classic rock....”

Dean exaggerated a gleeful smile. “Hey, he sounds awesome. I want to date him! What’s his number?”

Buffy roared with laughter for a bit as she took in his goofy grin. She gulped down a dose of her nerves as her amusement dissipated.

“When I came to Kansas, I thought it was just a stroke of luck that I found a job opening but now, being here – with you, I kind of think it was......fate,” she confessed softly. “I never thought I’d meet a guy as....remarkable as you.”

Her eyes sprung with joy as she smiled wide.

“Dean – I....I’m so crazy about you I can’t even think straight sometimes....I think about you when I’m awake, when I’m asleep and when you’re not around....I feel....incomplete. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, I didn’t know what I was feeling – just that it wasn’t some silly teenage crush or a phase of ‘really liking you’ – I’ve traveled far beyond that and I’ve had some doubts about what I was feeling, if I was feeling it too fast and then my mom – she pointed out to me the other day that when I talk about you – I sound like a girl.....deeply in love with a boy. And she’s right, only that I think I’m beyond that too. I love that you’re honest with me, that you trust me with Sammy, that you always take my comfort into consideration, I love everything about you.”

Buffy gulped as her eyes glistened deeper with affection.

“I – love – you,” she professed softly. “And I want to be with you as long as you’ll have me, because you and Sammy have changed my life – for the better and no guy from my past, no eclectic yoga teacher, no guy out there is going to take that away.”

Dean heaved a deep breath in awe as his heart sparked with her loving smile, igniting an intense euphoria through his system.

“Wow,” he gasped. “I uh, I’ve been wanting to tell you the same thing.... but I just couldn’t seem to find the words – even though they are kind of simple but still so....intimidating.”

Noticing an uncertainty tinting her expression, he blew out a breath and locked onto her eyes.

“I feel the same way about you,” he affirmed softly. “I’ve felt a lot of things lately, things that have made me think I’m going crazy, things I didn’t understand until I talked to other people but even then, until now, until hearing you, it didn’t seem real. I still keep thinking I dreamed you up and that one day you’re going to fade away because you are everything that I’ve been looking for, that I hoped to find. Call it luck or fate – whatever it was that brought you here, I’m grateful.”

Dean latched onto her mouth and planted a long and deep kiss, sweeping his hands through her hair, soaking in every ounce of this wonderful girl who had profoundly touched his life. He pulled back when he heard Buffy sniffling. Her eyes gleamed with passion as she smiled at him.

“You are a great, great man Dean,” she professed. “And you make me so happy.”

He marveled in the weight of love striking through his heart at that moment and relished in the feeling. 

“You make me happy too,” he confirmed. “You amaze me constantly.”

Dean pulled her mouth back over his, angling her head back to kiss her deeper. Buffy wrapped her arms around him, feeling so incredibly grateful for meeting a guy who had crushed all her negative experiences with the opposite sex, who was genuine and caring and honest, who had no deceitful intentions or secrets lurking in the closet. She turned her body in his lap, straddling him and clutching him close. Her hands drifted over him, probing and reacquainting the firm tones in his arms and chest. 

She let out a hot breath as their passionate kiss lingered, feeling her lower body blazing with attraction, heating up her skin, churning her insides into a gooey mush. Her brain tingled with the sensation as her hands pushed his shirt up as he slipped his arms out of the sleeves and yanked it off. She broke from his mouth and began planting sweet, wet kisses along his neckline. She felt his hot breath blasting across her ear as she doused the bottom of his jaw with more little kisses before letting her mouth roam down. She pushed her tongue along the ridges of muscles lining his torso and felt his body jerk against her mouth. She let out a breath as her own body grew feverish with arousal. She returned her mouth to his and sunk her tongue inside, basking in the intense euphoria kicking through her system. She inched slightly from him, pulling off her own sweater and folding back against him. She swam in the feeling of his strong hands caressing her back, relishing in every small shock of pleasure that soared through her body from his subtle touch. 

Buffy let out a soft pant as Dean rolled his tongue along the crease of her neck, gingerly nibbling on the flesh, sending pangs of ecstasy jolting through her brain. Her eyes rolled back into her head as the heat blazing through her lower body was equally matched by the blaring arousal stamping her bottom. She jerked slightly as she felt her silk panties soaking with liquid heat. Her body arched forward, craving to be taken, anticipating the glorious agony that prickled through every part of her body. She released another soft breath as Dean unlatched her bra and slipped it off her arms, swiftly engulfing his mouth over her breast, sliding his tongue around the peak in slow motions. 

Buffy closed her eyes as a low moan tumbled out of her mouth as he continued to circle his tongue around her nipple, electrifying her brain into a pleasant numbness. Stirred by an intense demand gripping her bones, she began to slowly writhe her hips within his lap. Hearing a low groan rumbling in his throat, she felt his hands clutching her hips to cease their motion as he unclasped the button on her jeans, rolling them down her hips. He gently folded her back against the table and pulled her jeans and panties off her legs, tossing them to the floor. He pushed aside a few of the table settings as she scooted back. 

Dean glanced down at her as she lay on the table in the faintly lit living room, illuminated by the flicker of just two tea lights, accenting the halo of golden hair draped over her shoulders. Her body glowed with desire and her eyes burned with love as she gazed up at him. He felt so much more connected to her than ever before, as her profession had completely lifted all his doubts away about their future. 

He stripped off the remainder of his clothes and gently slid over her bare body, settling himself slightly so that his rigid muscle nestled against her inner thigh. He cupped her body within his arms and kissed her hard and deep, feeling a numbing sensation rippling through his body and gripping his mind. This was what it was like to love a woman – he finally understood, he finally grasped the feeling many of his coupled friends had confessed, swimming in a complete state of bliss – an unbelievable high, a connection too profound for words. He felt his eyes sprouting with moisture as he broke from the kiss and admired Buffy in the soft candlelight. 

Buffy smiled adoringly as he caressed the soft folds of her cheek. She was gorgeous and sweet and caring and adored Sammy, he couldn’t have asked for anything more and yet, she had given so much in such a small statement – in three words that had always sounded so ridiculous when he was younger but now, were the best words he could ever hear. She tugged his mouth back onto hers, fueled by the deep gleam and moisture in his eyes as he gazed at her. She heaved a gasp through the long, loving kiss, feeling the delicate folds of her apex throbbing with an intense heat. 

She shuddered in delight when she felt the rough callous of his finger stroking the hot lips between her legs. She panted in increasing pace the more fervent he made his strokes. She gasped when he slipped his finger into her slick canal, rasping against the flesh, coaxing out every fiber of pleasure ingrained in her body. Her body arched upward as her moans grew in volume and her eyes burst with tears of joy. 

Dean cut off her lingering moans by pressing a deep kiss on her mouth, determined to unearth any crevices of pleasure he hadn’t yet stirred. As he heard her moans rattling in her throat, felt her body racking against the table, her heat swarming his finger as he penetrated her canal with long strokes, he felt his mind and body exploding with a new level of excitement. 

Buffy squeaked through the ever lingering kiss and widened her legs as the arousal in her lower body raged with a fury. She gripped Dean by the forearms in a desperate gesture to ease the intense ache burning in her body, threatening to consume her. She gasped briefly when she noticed a tiny curl in his mouth drawing into an amused smile. She pouted slightly when he didn’t appease her right away, prompting him to chuckle softly. After a minute, he readjusted his position, pulling himself over her. Buffy sucked in a breath in anticipation as he slowly pushed into her canal. She let out a cry of delight as she felt her body swelling with warmth. She absorbed the spark in his eyes as he made his first, slow thrust within her heated canal, drawing out a soft moan from her mouth. 

Dean rolled his eyes shut, drinking in the intense euphoria assailing him as he bonded to this fantastic girl he knew in his heart he never wanted to be without. He let his eyes flutter open and was surprised to feel his cheeks dampening from the immense elation soaring through his heart as he watched Buffy gleaming with pleasure. He cupped a hand to her cheek as he kept his strokes slow, squeezing out long gasps from her mouth. Time seemed to stand still as he combed her hair, planted deep kisses on her mouth and the delicate curve of her neckline, drawing out heavy but slow pushes within her canal, soaking in a night he would treasure in his memories. 

“You are a great, great girl,” he exalted softly as he took her mouth in a deep kiss. 

Buffy wrapped her arms around Dean, feeling every part of her body beaming with joy. He pulled her legs tighter over his hips, slanting her body to take him deeper. She released a low groan as her ragged breaths staggered into a long, shaky moan that cut through the blissful silence. 

Dean eased back on his rhythmic motions, not wanting to carry her toward her peak just yet. He drew his weight down on top of her and slipped his tongue inside her mouth, kissing her and caressing her face for several minutes, holding and cherishing this gift of a girl.

Buffy let out a contented sigh as the kiss drifted on and on. She didn’t care if they stayed like that all night, she didn’t want the morning to arrive, she didn’t want him to leave her side, and she didn’t want her lighter than air feeling to end. She never thought she could love someone so much in such a short amount of time. 

She clung tighter to Dean, resting her fingers in the ridges of his back muscles, absorbing the heat of his skin as he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, the corners of her mouth, the crook of her nose, the dip of flesh between her ears and neck, every inch of flesh he kissed with a tender touch. She marveled in this man, she adored this man, she loved this man with all of her heart. As Dean continued to rain affectionate kisses upon her face, she moved her hips beneath him. He looked up and met her glowing eyes.

“Hey, hey, we have all night and most of tomorrow too so no need to suck it all out of me now,” he cracked with a silly smile.

She pulled him down for a kiss, drawing her hips forward, stealing a few of her own thrusts to appease the heavy ache in her loins.

“Taking what you want, I like this side of you,” he teased before he chuckled briefly.

Seeing the glassiness thickening in her eyes, he propped himself back on his hands and picked up his heavy, long thrusts, absorbing Buffy’s expression of sheer delight as she hitched her head back and let out cry after cry, every blast of pleasure escalated by her newfound connection to him. Tears of rapture streamed from her eyes as her body writhed, her heart thundered behind her ribcage, her mind dulled of all thought except for the feeling channeling through her. When the blissful silence cracked with her loud song, she heaved forward and gasped for air, struggling to settle her breathing. 

Dean settled his weight on top of her, nestling his nose in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her salty perspiration and a floral perfume. He kissed her earlobe as he sucked in several deep breaths of his own. He pulled up to see Buffy shining a goofy grin as her chest bellowed rapidly, still trying to take in steady breaths of air. After sharing another kiss, a strange smell hit the air, causing Dean to break away.

“Is something burning?” he asked.

Buffy casually sniffed the air before her eyes went wide. 

“Dessert!” she gasped as she bolted forward.

She scrambled off the table, snatching a blanket from the couch and wrapping it around herself as she raced over to the oven. She ripped open the oven door to see a blackened pie on the rack.

“Oh. My. God!”

Dean yanked his pants on and ambled into the kitchen as Buffy took the pie out and pouted.

“I have never had a baking disaster in my life,” she moaned. 

Dean edged closer to the counter as she dropped the blackened mess into the sink. She swung around and eyed him, deepening her pout.

“Thanks a lot,” she moaned again. “You besmirched my flawless record by distracting me for your....talk.”

Buffy whined softly as she glanced back at the wrecked treat. Dean couldn’t help but laugh at her devastated look. He pulled her into his arms and brushed the damp tendrils from her face.

“Sorry, I won’t tell you how I feel ever again,” he joked.

Buffy softened out of her pout and flushed red.

“I’m making a big deal out of nothing, huh?” she asked. “I just....I just wanted to have a special dinner.”

“Dinner is always special, any meal is special when I’m with you,” he said with a smile. 

Buffy pushed off her toes and gave him an appreciative kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly.

“And you ruining dessert is just a reality check that I didn’t dream you up because yay, you’re not perfect! But that’s okay because I’m not either.”

“Well, we’re perfect for each other,” she said with a bashful smile.

Dean blinked in deep amazement as he soaked in her endearing smile. He clutched her closer against him and held her gaze.

“Yeah, I think we are.”


	13. Little Bit Naughty and Nice

After helping clean up the burnt out pie and pan, Dean watched Buffy shuffle around her kitchen with the blanket still wrapped around her body like a towel. She opened various cabinets peeking inside.

“Oh, I’ve got half a bag of Mrs. Simms cookies!” Buffy announced as she yanked the bag out. “These are the best baked cookies in a package.”

Buffy dipped the bag open and weaved over to Dean. He wrapped her within his arms as she stuffed half a cookie in his mouth before eating the rest. 

“Aren’t they delish?” she asked with a silly smile.

“Yeah, they’re pretty tasty.”

Buffy swallowed her last bite and heaved a gasp when she saw the brilliant sparks in his eyes as he gazed down at her. She felt immensely warm and secure within his arms as she drank in his smile. When he pulled her mouth to his, she let out a contented sigh, reciprocating his affection in a deeper kiss and a firmer embrace. Her heart beat thundered against her ribcage when her mind spun with the realization that this man holding her in his arms was with great certainty, the one she saw a future with. After so long, so many bad relationships with guys, she had the fortune to run into Dean and with every breath she had, she hoped their love would blossom and last.

Feeling her toes quickly melting into the floor, Buffy heaved another sigh of elation as she pulled away from Dean. She absorbed the sheen in his eyes as he cupped her face and tenderly kissed her on the mouth for a long minute. She had never touched true, tangible happiness before and her eyes glistened with joy at the reality. When he parted from her, she let out an almost breathless gasp as he gazed at her intently. Her body flared up with desire as they locked into a long kiss. 

Buffy broke away to inhale a few deep breaths. In the blissful silence, she simply beamed a loving smile at him. She took his hand and guided him toward the stairs. When she reached her bedroom, Dean fervently swept her back into his arms, tugging the blanket clear off her body.

Buffy squeaked softly in her throat as he gently steered her onto the bed, folding himself over her body. She felt warm to the core, no blazing hot with every touch as her heartbeat danced emphatically with joy. Her eyes welled with emotion as Dean clutched her tightly, planting a long and deep kiss on her mouth, stroking a hand through her locks and caressing her face. After he pulled away, Dean beamed a bright smile down at her, absorbing the glow of her glistening hazel eyes.

Buffy pushed away the sheets and opened herself up to Dean. He stripped off his pants and settled under the covers before gently sliding inside her. Buffy let out a soft gasp as she felt his slick muscle within her. Her body sprung with intense elation as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Her heart beat pounded in her throat as Dean began to slowly rock forward. She let out a hot pant as she felt that familiar numbness tingling through her system. 

Dean gingerly rolled Buffy on top of him, slipping his arms around her waist, drawing a deeper kiss as he kept his strokes slow and long. As her hair fell around him, he clutched her tighter, caressing her back, her skin, everything about her. Her soft moan graced his ears as they kissed longer and deeper. Buffy pulled off his mouth and planted sweet, loving kisses along his neck line. She met the glow in his eyes as she swept a hand through his hair. When she caressed his face, he took that hand and kissed the inside of her palm. Her eyes deepened with joy at the way he absorbed every touch of hers. Buffy propped her mouth back on his and soaked in the heat, the love, the appreciation she felt so explicitly in his kiss. 

She tightened her legs against him and pushed off her hips, feeling the swell of his arousal squeezing around the walls of her canal. She moaned through their lingering kiss as he settled his hands along the small of her back, gently stroking his fingers across her hips. She inhaled a heavy pant as another coat of moisture sprung over her body. If she ever had a doubt about how Dean truly felt, it was blasted away by a single look, or a single stroke of her cheek, or a single touch of his hand. 

When he rolled her onto her back, she looked up at those intensely green eyes glowing in the faint darkness. He took her hand and laced his fingers through hers as he increased the strength of his strokes. She hitched her head back and released several pants gravitating into a long moan. As her cries lingered and pitched, she always felt him, raking her hair, or kissing her face, or simply clutching her hand, maintaining a physical connection as strong as their emotional one. She heaved a deep breath and then bellowed with a cry before collapsing into the pile of pillows beneath her head. 

Buffy let out a contented sigh and shined a goofy grin as Dean folded himself over her, nestling his face into the crook of her neck. She curled her arms around him, feeling the rapid beats of his heart rumbling against her chest. As he secured his arms around her, Buffy burrowed deep within them, feeling completely comforted by this fabulous guy. She flashed a dreamy smile before she drifted off to sleep.

 

A few hours later, Buffy was roused by a series of soft kisses along her neckline. She rolled over on her side as her eyes gently fluttered open. 

“Hi,” she cooed.

In the faintly lit room, Buffy smiled dreamily at Dean, ruffling his tousled hair in affection. She snuggled closer to the line of his body and let out a contented sigh when he caressed her bare back and planted a loving kiss on her mouth. 

“Did you sleep at all?” she asked, since he looked wide awake and glowing like a beacon.

“A little, mostly I’ve just been lying here, staring at you -uncomfortably,” he admitted. 

Buffy widened her eyes in awe.

“Uh, really?”

Dean shook his head and chuckled.

“No......I wasn’t uncomfortable,” he confessed. “You’re very peaceful when you sleep.”

Buffy gulped in awkwardness as Dean burst into more laughter. When he noticed her look, he shaded with a sheepish smile.

“Oh, I guess that’s a little freaky to watch someone when they sleep huh?”

Buffy crinkled her nose and narrowed her fingers to indicate a small measure.

“Maybe a smidge but......”

“Oh, I won’t do it anymore,” Dean said firmly. “It’s just.....these weekends are nice when I get to be with you so I guess I’m just cashing in all the chips I can.”

Dean teasingly swept a finger down the side of her body. Buffy drew an endearing smile as she leaned in and kissed him for a long moment. After she pulled away, she soaked in Dean’s immensely playful smile.

“I like these weekends too,” she confessed.

Dean drew a circle on her left shoulder before leaning in to kiss the flesh. Buffy beamed a silly grin as she fell onto her back and buried her head in the pillow. Dean propped an elbow on his pillow and set his head in his hand. His eyes sparked with intense curiosity after his mind lingered on a thought.

“So........you have dreams about me huh? What am I doing in these dreams of yours?”

Buffy gulped when she absorbed his teasing smile. Her cheeks shot a beet red as she averted her eyes from his. Dean chuckled briefly when he saw her flushed face.

“Oh, wow, that’s quite a tell,” he said. “So, what, were they kind of naughty?”

Buffy shaded deeper with color as his laughter tapered off.

“No, they’re just....embarrassing,” she admitted.

“Because they were kind of naughty?” he asked as he cocked an eyebrow up.

Buffy squeaked with a gasp and playfully batted him on the shoulder.

“No, they were not naughty,” she insisted. “They were just....well, you’d probably think they were lame.”

Dean curved his free hand over Buffy’s thigh, gently stroking his palm along her silky skin.

“I don’t know, what was I doing?”

Buffy studied Dean for a minute, gauging his sincerity.

“You seriously want to know?”

“Well yeah, I mean, we’re supposed to be honest with each other right?”

After a brief second, Buffy sighed in compliance.

“Yeah okay but um, do you promise not to make fun of me?”

Dean mocked an offended look.

“Hey, what kind of guy do you think I am?”

When Buffy lingered with hesitation, Dean widened his eyes in surprise.

“Wow, you really do think it’s embarrassing,” he said. “Well, okay then, I promise I won’t make a single wisecracking comment.”

Buffy heaved a breath as she recalled one of her recurring dreams.

“Well, um, we’re usually eating some place and then you um......break into.....song.”

Dean gawked in mass disbelief. 

“Uh really? That’s what you dream about? Me breaking into song?”

“Well, it’s more like serenading me to some song.”

“Oh. Interesting.”

Dean looked off as he pushed himself up against the headboard.

“It’s stupid huh?” Buffy said sheepishly.

Dean shrugged as he picked the water bottle off the night stand and took a sip.

“Oh I don’t know, I’m not much for publicly humiliating myself but....with the right song to inspire me, you never know......it wasn’t.....REO Speedwagon was it?”

Buffy drew a curious look to the mild disgust in his expression.

“Uh, no, I don’t really remember the songs, it’s more the moment you start singing in a public place....anyway, what about you? Do you have dreams about me?”

“Yeah, of course I do.”

“Oh, well, what am I doing?”

Dean widened his eyes in apprehension when his male mind blasted with an assortment of steamy images.

“Uh.....you know, I really shouldn’t say because I’m a nice guy, a gentleman.”

Buffy snorted in amusement.

“Oh so you’re saying they’re um, kind of naughty?”

“No, not ‘kind of’.....more like.......blatantly.......naughty,” Dean confessed softly.

Buffy giggled at the flush of color flooding his. When her amusement lingered, Dean snagged her into his arms and pulled her down to the bed. He swept a lock of hair shading her eyes away from her face and raised a finger in the air.

“I would just like to say in my defense, that one I’m a guy and two I don’t get to see you that often and three........I’m a guy,” he pointed.

Buffy rumbled with laughter for another second until Dean cut her off with a passionate kiss on her mouth. She let out a soft moan as her body seeped deeper into a puddle of mush. Her eyes snapped open in recognition when she felt a very significant stiffness tapping against her inner thigh. She released a deep breath as her body instinctively flamed up with desire. She kissed Dean back, slipping her arms firmer around him as she slid her thigh over his hip. When she engaged his deep gaze with her own, she was met with that marvelous smile. 

“You’re amazing,” he exalted softly. 

 

Late the next morning, Buffy released a deep yawn as she turned over and snuggled against Dean. As he adjusted his arms around her without stirring awake, Buffy beamed a gleeful grin while she watched him sleep. After a minute, she noticed his eyes fluttering open and taking in her infectious smile. Dean reciprocated her smile as he pulled her closer to him.

“Mmm, so I wasn’t dreaming,” he cracked softly.

Buffy sighed with contentment when Dean brushed a hand over her tousled hair. She nestled her face in the crook of his neck, folding her body deeper against him.

“Usually I’d be up and out and about, but now, I’m not feeling the need to be anywhere but here,” she said. “You make me want to be lazy.”

Dean opened his bleary eyes and reeled with bewilderment.

“Uh, is that a compliment or am I corrupting your work ethic?”

“It’s a complete compliment,” Buffy replied. 

“Oh, well, thanks....”

When the sound of a phone ringing broke through the silence, Buffy heaved a sigh, reluctantly shifting toward her nightstand. She swept up the handset and turned back to Dean, settling into his arms again. Dean pulled the hair draping her neck and attacked it with kisses. Buffy felt the electrodes of excitement sparking as Dean launched an attack of kisses on her collar bone.

“Mm, hello?”

Buffy perked up with a smile when she heard the voice on the other line.

“Hi momma,” she said. 

Dean froze when he heard the acknowledgment, feeling the heat drain from his body. 

“I’ve been up for a bit,” Buffy continued.

Dean cleared his throat very softly as Buffy turned toward him, clutching the phone to her ear. She absorbed his mortified look and stifled a laugh.

“So what’s new?”

Dean rolled off the bed and pointed toward the shower. Buffy nodded as she pulled the covers over her bare body. Dean ambled into the bathroom and shut the door. Buffy glanced at the buzzing cell phone on the other night stand as the shower valves creaked on.

“Sorry, yeah momma I’m still here.....”

 

A short time later, Dean drifted down the stairs and found the familiar sight of Buffy cooking behind the stovetop. She flashed him a bright smile as he emerged from the stairs.

“Hey, your cell phone was ringing when you were in the shower.”

“Okay, thanks. What’s for breakfast?”

“I couldn’t decide between bacon and eggs or waffles so I’m making waffles with a side of bacon and eggs.”

“I love your indecision!” Dean roared.

Buffy giggled at his silly grin as he fished out his cell phone and checked his messages. After pouring a cup of coffee, Dean widened his eyes in amazement as he pulled the cell phone from his ear. Buffy glanced at him curiously as he leaned against the island counter and blinked with disbelief.

“Uh wow,” he muttered.

Dean quickly hit a speed dial on his cell phone, sipping a quick bit of coffee. Buffy noticed Dean had shot up straight as he spoke into the phone.

“Deacon? Hey, it’s Dean, I’m good, how are you? Yeah, I did get your message and I’m still interested......Monday? Uh, I don’t have my schedule on me so I might have to call you back......lunch? Uh, yeah, that’s fine....no, no I didn’t have lunch plans.....okay, where were you thinking? Sue’s Diner, cool.....okay, I’ll see you then, thanks Deacon.”

Buffy plucked the bacon and eggs on a plate before checking on the waffle iron.

“What was that about?” she asked casually. 

“Deacon owns the towing company in town and he’s been talking for years about retiring and selling off his business.”  
Buffy shined a slight look of incredulousness.

“So you’re buying a towing company?”

“Well, if I want to keep it for towing, but mainly I’m interested in the warehouse space. It’s a short walk from my shop and I could use the place for storage and stuff. That reminds me, I need to ring Oz. We had a deal going if Deacon ever sold his place. Don’t let me forget.”

Buffy smiled and nodded before plopping a warm waffle on a plate. She set the plates on the table as Dean flashed her an appreciative smile. After he dove in for a big bite, he smiled gleefully up at her. Buffy reciprocated with a warm smile as she sat down at the table. 

“So um......I’m kind of curious about earlier when um, my mom called and....you.....were.....surprised.”

Buffy bit back a giggle when Dean shaded with a sheepish look and fidgeted slightly in his seat.

“Surprised? Uh, yeah, I uh, I was very surprised.....and.....for a minute there, when I was.....you know....kissing you and you said the word ‘mom’......it sort of.......well, it took me back to the past....far, far, into the past......” he confessed.

Buffy sputtered with a giggle when Dean shaded with color.

“Oh um..... you got caught by a lot of moms huh?”

Dean perched his coffee mug by his mouth and deepened with more color.

“Uh, next subject please.”

Buffy giggled loudly for a second before she settled and ate a few bites.

“Well, actually, my mom is going to stop in for a few days before the holiday,” she said. “She’s looking forward to meeting you.”

“Oh? What day is that happening? I’ll mark it on my calendar so I can be sure to leave town.”

Buffy stared at Dean as he held a seemingly sincere expression before drifting into a sarcastic smile. 

“You don’t want to meet my mom?” she asked with concern.

“No,” Dean said.

Dean widened his eyes after hearing his response.

“I mean, yeah, I mean.....”

Dean let out a huge sigh as he collected his words.

“Of course I want to meet her, it’s just......I don’t have a great track record with parents, I haven’t exactly made great impressions with them in the past.”

Buffy shook her head and smiled with assurance.

“She’s going to love you,” she said. “She practically does already, I mean, I always seem to get onto the topic of you so she feels she already knows you. And she can’t wait to meet Sammy.”

“Really? She knows that much huh?”

“Oh yeah, she adores the fact that I adore you and Sammy,” Buffy added. “She bought a bunch of Christmas presents for him and wants him to open them when she gets here instead of waiting.”

“Wow. Well, Sammy will love that. He’s always begging me to open his presents early......so.......your mom is coming for a visit....”

Buffy drew a smile at Dean’s endearing apprehensiveness. She moved from her seat and into his lap, curling her hands around his neck.

“She really is going to love you Dean,” she said. “Because I do.”

Buffy planted a tender kiss on his mouth that drifted into minutes. Dean laced his arms around her, pulling her deeper into the kiss. Buffy let out a blissful sigh as Dean raked a hand through her hair, drawing their loving kiss even longer. When she finally managed to pull away, she broke into a goofy grin.

“So um....what did you want to do today....after we finish eating?”

Dean glanced at the clock in the kitchen and cracked an equally goofy grin. 

“Grown up stuff,” he answered.


	14. Better With You

A few hours later, Buffy let out a contented sigh as she snuggled under a blanket, curled up beside Dean on the couch. 

“I like being lazy,” she cooed with a goofy grin.

“Me too.”

Buffy hitched her head up and kissed Dean lovingly on the mouth for a minute. When she pulled away, she absorbed the glow of his smile as he gazed upon her and stroked her bare back with a hand.

“You know, the day is getting away from us,” he said. “Is there anything you want to do? I mean, I don’t want you to get the impression that these weekends are just about.....this.”

Buffy noted his eyes looking over their bare state before he met hers.

“As fantastic as it is,” he added. “We can go out and....do stuff with the masses.”

Buffy snuggled deeper against Dean and waved a hand dismissively.

“Masses are overrated,” she said. “Anyway, I know you have to pick up Sammy soon.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Will you come over with Sammy on Monday night for dinner?”

“Yeah, we’d love to.”

Buffy glowed with a bright smile as Dean gently pulled her mouth onto his. As the air grew still with a wonderful silence, Buffy let out giddy sigh as the kiss deepened and lingered. Her mind grew blissfully numb and she had no sense of time or awareness to her surroundings. It could have been a year or decades that had passed but she didn’t care. She was too enveloped in the marvelous feeling of having this amazing man entangled in her arms. 

Dean caressed her face with a tender stroke of his hand. Buffy released another giddy moan as she absorbed the delightful sensations swimming through her heart. When they parted, Dean curled her tighter against the line of his body, still warm from their earlier lovemaking session. Buffy nestled her head in the crook of his neck and sighed again, feeling the dampness of his skin brushing across her nose. She latched her arms tighter around him as he swept away a tendril of hair that had dropped over her eyes. 

“So um, the holidays are coming up and I.....I’m having a hard time finding something for you,” she confessed. “I don’t know why so I thought I’d just ask what you want for Christmas?”

“You in just a bow,” Dean blurted out.

Dean widened his eyes in horror when he heard himself. 

“Uh, did I just say that out loud?”

He forced out an awkward laugh as his cheeks shaded with color. 

“Let’s just forget I said that,” he stressed.

Buffy snickered softly as she crooked a finger across his chin.

“Um okay, any....other ideas?” 

“I’m pretty easy to please.”

“Yeah okay but.....it’s our first Christmas and I don’t want to give you something lame like a box of air freshener for your car.”

Dean cocked his head and drew an appreciative smile.

“Actually, I wouldn’t mind that,” he said.

“Seriously? But, you own an auto shop that sells air freshener.”

“True but I’ve never thought of taking inventory from there. Anyway, I really am easy to shop for.”

Buffy drew a small mope. 

“You’re no help at all.”

“I don’t think you need to worry,” he assured. “Because honestly, I’m not the type to want a fancy watch or some stuffy lounge jacket. You know enough about me, I’m sure you’ll figure something out. I mean, I should be the one to ask you what you want because I have no idea what chicks like other than.....I don’t know....shoes.....”

Dean over exaggerated a pained look.

“Please don’t make me go to the mall,” he said.

Buffy absorbed his puppy dog mope and giggled hysterically. After her amusement settled, she cupped his cheek and graced his mouth with an affectionate kiss. As fine tremors of joy rippled through her heart, she felt her eyes growing misty. When she sniffled, Dean pulled off her mouth and felt the tugs of concern drawing over his face.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

Buffy gasped at the flurry of love soaring through her system as Dean wiped the tears from her eyes. She let out a deep breath and nodded. 

“Yeah, I’m just......really happy,” she professed. 

As another set of tears escaped from her eyes, Dean swept them away and gazed down at her with a smile.

“Me too,” he admitted. 

Buffy pulled his mouth back onto hers and shifted her body beneath his. As excitement sprung in her belly, she shuddered at the grace of his hand sliding along her thigh. Dean tossed the blanket aside, removing all barriers between their bodies. Buffy let out a breath of anticipation as he pushed her legs wider to receive him. As he brought his weight down, Buffy released another breath when he caught her bottom lip between his teeth and gently nibbled on the flesh. In the rolling silence, painted only by the increasingly ragged breaths, the blaring sound of “Renegade” snapped through the air. 

Buffy pulled her eyelids open to see Dean heaving a sigh as he cradled her in his arms. As the ringtone continued, Buffy beamed a forgiving smile up at him.

“You should take it,” she said.

“If it wasn’t Ellen....”

“I know,” she replied. “It’s okay.”

Dean settled his sharp breaths of exertion before picking up his cell phone. 

“Hey El, everything okay?”

Buffy sucked in several deep breaths to stave her own rapid heartbeat. 

“Uh....ten minutes? Uh......can you make it....twenty.......no, of course I’m not too busy to pick up my kid El it’s just........uh....what am I doing that’s more important? Uh......”

Buffy stifled a laugh when Dean widened his eyes after staring at their bare, sweat laden bodies still pressed together.

“Uh I was.....just....working on the car.”

Dean winced after spitting out the lie. 

“Right.....it’s just a car, okay, I’ll be there in fifteen, bye El.”

After hanging up, Dean shaded with a heavily sheepish look.

“Great,” he moaned. “I just lied to Ellen. Six years of honesty quashed in a single moment.”

Dean tossed his cell phone aside and mocked an annoyed glare at Buffy.

“I totally blame you,” he said.

Buffy snatched the blanket from the floor and pushed herself up. She paused when she noticed Dean watching her with intense curiosity.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Buffy gulped as she took in the deep spark in his eyes.

“Uh....I thought you had to go,” she replied.

“I’ve got a fifteen minute window and I just lied for YOU. Okay, okay, it was more for me and my ‘caught by mom’ moments but.....”

Buffy squeaked inaudibly when he hooked her with a heavy look of interest. Excitement sprung back in her belly as her lower body throbbed and pulsed with anticipation. Her mouth opened to respond but no words formed in her brain. She had been rendered speechless by the hypnotic glow of his eyes. 

“Unless, you want me to leave now,” he added.

Buffy bit down on her lower lip as the painful throbbing escalated the longer Dean held his gaze upon her. She gulped as her body heaved back onto the couch, the blanket falling away. Dean blinked rapidly at the seamless, automatic response before letting out a short chuckle.

“Well.....it seems that’s a no.”

 

Dean strolled into the garage after lunch, singing Van Halen’s “Dance the Night Away” under his breath. Caleb and Richie heard his cheerful tune and swept their sights on him.

“You want to dance the night away with me Dean?” Richie joked with a silly grin.

Dean abruptly stopped singing and frowned in annoyance.

“Dude, shut up,” he groaned.

Caleb cocked his head as he wiped grease from his hands.

“You’ve been in a good mood lately Dean, guess you and that fine blonde are doing well huh?”

Caleb pumped his eyebrows and smirked. Dean threw Caleb a disapproving look.

“One, that’s none of your business and two, her name is Buffy and I’d appreciate it if you treat her with respect, BOTH of you, especially when she drops in. You hear me?”

Richie threw his hands up in a mocking manner.

“Geez, sorry boss, I was just kidding around,” he moaned.

“Well, don’t anymore okay Richie?”

“Okay Dean, I didn’t realize you were gettin’ serious with this chick.”

Dean glared at Richie in dismay.

“I mean, I didn’t know you were getting serious with....Buffy.”

“Yeah, Dean, why haven’t you told us she, Buffy is your girlfriend huh?” Caleb asked.

“What, you want me to splash it all over the front page of the Lawrence Ledger, she just IS okay? So enough with all these obnoxious jokes,” Dean said sharply. “I’m tired of it.”

Richie snorted as he exchanged looks with Caleb. Cass drifted out from the front office and nodded at Dean.

“Dean, this just came for you by express messenger,” he stated.

Cass handed a large envelope to Dean.

“Thanks.”

“How was your lunch with Deacon?”

“Good, great actually,” Dean replied as he tore open the envelope.

After reading over the cover letter, Dean shaded with dread.

“Aw man,” he moaned.

“What is wrong?” Cass asked.

“Aw man......I’m being audited!”

Cass followed Dean as he shuffled into his office and frantically rummaged through drawers.

“Do you need assistance Dean?”

Dean pulled several auto parts boxes off shelves and stacked them on his desk. He plucked a dark blue shoe box from underneath a stack of cartons and set it on his desk as well. He flipped the lid off the shoebox to display hundreds of receipts stuffed inside. He picked a few out and frowned.

“Oh, this is going to be fun,” he moaned. 

“May I help?”

Dean heaved a sigh before he gave an appreciative expression to Cass.

“No but thanks, this is my burden.”

“I will be at my station if you need me,” Cass said.

Dean plopped down into his chair and let out another sigh.

“Thanks Cass.”

 

 

A few hours later, Dean gently ushered Sammy into the kitchen. Sammy darted over to the fridge and pulled the door open, quickly scoping over the contents while Dean sorted through the mail. He picked out a loaf of bread and some turkey from the crisper and dropped the items on the island counter.

“Don’t eat too much Sammy, we’re going over to Buffy’s tonight for dinner.”

Sammy widened his eyes in delight.

“We are?”

Dean absorbed Sammy’s bright smile and shined his own.

“Yeah, didn’t I mention that?”

Sammy shook his head.

“Oh, well, surprise,” Dean said with a smile. “She has an idea for your science project.”

Sammy bounced excitedly in his stance.

“Cool! Can we go see Buffy now daddy? Please?”

“She’s still at work for another two hours. We’re supposed to go over there around six.”

Sammy glanced at the clock and moped deeply.

“Geez Sammy, sorry that you have hang out with your dad for awhile,” Dean said with a teasing smile.

“I just miss her,” Sammy said.

“She’s missed you too.”

“Can we go see her sooner, please?”

Dean ruffled the hair on top of Sammy’s head and chuckled.

“Okay, okay, tell you what, we’ll go a half hour earlier,” he said. “She’s cooking for us and I don’t want us to get in her way too much. Now, did you get any homework?”

“No but I have something to give you.”

Sammy skipped over to his book bag and rifled through a binder. He pulled out several sheet of paper stapled together and ran back to Dean.

“Here daddy.”

After glancing at a cover letter on the top of the stack, Dean drew an apprehensive look.

“That’s not from the IRS, is it?”

“No.”

“Oh, well that’s good. What do you got?”

Dean took the papers from Sammy and looked them over.

“You’re in a play?”

Sammy nodded. 

“Everyone in my class has to participate.”

“Farmer Brown’s Garden, okay, so it’s about nutrition habits and stuff.”

“Uh huh, I have some lines and I need a costume,” Sammy moaned.

“Three lines, no problem, I’ll help you with that as for a costume.....I’m not all that crafty with a sewing machine but we can run into town and see what we can find.”

“But Halloween is over, there won’t be any costumes daddy,” Sammy pointed out. 

“Yeah, you’re right but there’s a specialty store that might have what we need.”

“What.....what about Buffy daddy, she made Dorothy shoes. Could she make my costume? The other kids’ moms are making theirs.”

“You can ask her tonight but if she doesn’t have time, I don’t want you begging her or anything okay?”

“Okay, are you going to wear that to Buffy’s house?”

Dean blinked in surprise at Sammy’s fashion critique.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

“You have grease on your hands and shirt daddy; don’t you want to look nice for Buffy? And smell nice too?”

Dean drew a self conscious look at Sammy before he took a whiff of himself and winced.

“Uh, that might not be a bad idea,” he said. “I’m going to run upstairs and take a quick shower.”

“Okay, I’m going to start on my book report.”

Dean flashed a paternal smile as Sammy took a seat at the table. 

 

Sammy sprung out of the car as soon as Dean pulled into the driveway of Buffy’s house. He grinned wide as he hopped on the porch and rang the doorbell. A short moment later, Buffy swung the door open and smiled at Dean and Sammy.

“Hi Buffy!” Sammy roared.

Buffy lit up with a wider smile as she crouched down and gave Sammy a big hug. 

“Hi sweetie, I’ve missed you lots,” she said. 

“I’ve missed you too Buffy,” Sammy said.

“Oh, you’re so sweet,” Buffy chimed. “Come on in, I hope you’re hungry.”

Sammy nodded as he ran inside. Buffy shifted her eyes to meet the bright spark of Dean’s gaze as he folded her within the frame of his arms.

“Mmm, hi,” she cooed.

Dean glanced at Sammy as he settled at the island counter before drawing his mouth over Buffy’s in a brief but heavily affectionate kiss.

“Hi,” he said after he broke away.

Buffy broke into a goofy grin as her cheeks flooded with color. Dean sniffed the flavorful air and burst with his own grin.

“It smells great in here, whatcha making?”

“Lasagna, I hope that’s okay,” Buffy said.

“Are you kidding? Meat and cheese, our two favorite food groups.”

Buffy flashed a teasing smile. “There are more than two you know.”

Dean beamed an ignorant expression. 

“Not to me.”

Buffy giggled as she wandered over to the stovetop.

“So Sammy, you want to see what your science project is? I hope you don’t mind me helping out.”

Sammy shook his head as he darted over to Buffy. Dean looked over her shoulder and glanced in a big pot on the burner. He cocked an eyebrow as she stirred the pot.

“Rice crispies?”

“That list you gave me of ‘forbidden’ items really was pretty limiting,” Buffy explained. “I have to admit, I was stumped for awhile but then I was watching this cooking show where they made this globe cake and it struck me with the idea.”

“Of rice crispies?” 

Buffy nodded as she removed a cloth covering a section of the counter. Sammy stared at several baseball shaped sized rice crispy treats. Buffy handed Sammy one of the treats and grinned.

“What do you think Sammy? Does that look like a planet?”

Sammy nodded fervently as he turned the treat in his hand. 

“Yeah, it’s round,” Sammy said. 

Buffy picked up a box and displayed it to Sammy and Dean.

“A little molding chocolate for the outside and some icing for details and voila the solar system within the guidelines of your assignment!” 

“Cool!” Sammy roared.

Buffy turned her eyes to Dean for approval.

“What do you think?”

Dean looked over the treats, the chocolate and icing and grinned.

“I think it’s a very tasty science project.”

Buffy mocked a scolding glare. 

“No eating Sammy’s science project,” she said. “At least not until after he gets a grade for it.”

“Thank you Buffy,” Sammy said.

Buffy glowed with a smile as Sammy stared up at her with an appreciative expression.

“You’re welcome Sammy, I’m glad I could help,” she said. “You are so getting an ‘a’ for it and if you don’t, you let me know and I’ll set your teacher straight.”

Buffy mocked another glare before she giggled. When the oven timer rang off, she ushered Dean and Sammy to the kitchen table. After they took seats at the table, Dean and Sammy shared grins of delight when a wonderful aroma hit their senses. Buffy drifted over with a bubbling pan of lasagna. As she cut portions out and set them on plates, she beamed smiles at Dean and Sammy. After collecting a basket of rolls and a side dish, she sat down at the table.

“Okay Sammy, go ahead,” Dean prompted.

Sammy dove his fork into the layers of meat and cheese as Dean followed suit. Buffy snickered in amusement as Dean lit up with a silly smile after taking a bite.

“Wow,” he gasped. “This is delicious.”

“It’s really yummy Buffy,” Sammy said.

“Thanks.”

Buffy set out rolls on their plates before picking up the side dish. 

“I made broccoli au gratin, would you like to try some Sammy?”

Sammy peered into the dish. 

“What’s that?”

“Broccoli dressed with some bread crumbs, cheese and a little bit of cream sauce.”

“Okay,” Sammy said.

Buffy scooped out a small portion on Sammy’s plate. Sammy picked at a piece of cheesy broccoli with a fork as Buffy glanced at Dean.

“Should I bother offering?” she asked with a teasing smile.

Dean eyed the dish as he finished his bite.

“Little trees seasoned in some stuff? No thanks,” he said politely.

Buffy chuckled and rolled her eyes as Sammy licked his lips.

“It’s good Buffy,” he said.

“Aw are you just being polite?”

Sammy shook his head as he picked up another piece of broccoli.

“No, I like it,” he reiterated. “You should have some daddy. It’s really good.”

Dean paused from dishing out a second helping of lasagna for himself.

“Uh, that’s okay, Buffy didn’t make very much so you two enjoy it, eat it ALL up, I insist,” he said with a sly smile.

Buffy snickered softly as Sammy reached for the veggie dish. 

“Well, looks like Sammy has a third favorite food group,” Buffy taunted.

Dean waved a hand through the air as he stuffed a roll in his mouth.

“So you corrupted him for one night,” he replied. “I’ll brainwash him later.”

Dean chuckled as Sammy simply scratched his head in utter wonder. 

“Huh?”

“It’s just a grown up joke between me and Buffy,” Dean explained. “Don’t worry about it Sammy.”

“Okay.”

After a minute of eating, Buffy wiped her mouth and shifted her sights to Sammy.

“So Sammy, how’s school going?”

“Um, it’s okay, I had a surprise math test today,” Sammy moaned.

“A pop quiz?” Buffy gasped. “Oh, I really hated those in school. But you’re so smart, I’m sure you aced it.”

“I only missed one!” 

Buffy ruffled the hair on Sammy’s head affectionately.

“Aw, see, I just knew you’d do well,” she said. “Still, it’s so wrong to give surprise tests to kids your age. I mean, my favorite class was recess and lunch.”

Dean nearly sputtered his drink in amusement. He wiped his mouth and chuckled.

“Right, miss smarty pants was a slacker,” he cracked.

Buffy exaggerated an offended look.

“Hey, even ‘smarty pants’ need a break,” she said. 

Sammy finished his bite and took a sip of his milk. He watched his daddy and Buffy exchanging smiles and bounced excitedly in his seat.

“Buffy, Buffy,” he called.

Buffy quickly pulled her sights to Sammy as he eyed his dad.

“Can I ask her now daddy?” he asked anxiously.

“Yeah, sure Sammy.”

Sammy lit up with a grin.

“Buffy, would you make me a costume? I’m in a play.”

“A play? Oh wow,” Buffy said. “Sammy Winchester the aspiring actor huh?”

“Everyone has to be in it,” Sammy said. “But I need a costume and all the kids’ mommies are making theirs.”

Sammy drew a mope before he stared up at Buffy.

“You made Dorothy shoes,” he added. “You could make me a costume. Please Buffy?”

Buffy cupped Sammy’s cheek, soaking in his endearing expression.

“Of course Sammy, I’d love to,” she said. 

Sammy grinned excitedly and threw his arms around Buffy.

“Thank you!”

“Aw Sammy, you’re so sweet,” she said as she hugged him back. 

Dean sat back in his chair and sucked a breath in awe as he watched Sammy and Buffy sharing a display of mutual affection. 

“What are you playing?” Buffy asked.

“I’m a carrot!” Sammy roared.

Buffy blinked in surprise as her sights drifted to Dean.

“A carrot huh? Well, your dad LOVES carrots, don’t you Dean?”

Sammy joined Buffy in a stare. Dean shifted awkwardly in his seat as he pried a smile over his face.

“Oh, yeah, I LOVE carrots, they’re awesome and you’re going to be the best carrot in the whole play Sammy.”

Buffy snickered as Sammy dove back into his dinner. After a dessert of cake and ice cream, Sammy eagerly assisted Buffy in completing his science project, watching her intently as she demonstrated how to shape the treats into balls. 

“Like this Buffy?” Sammy asked as he held out his treat.

“That’s perfect Sammy,” Buffy praised. 

Sammy grinned as he set his ‘planet’ on the wax sheet of paper on the counter. Buffy checked on the molding chocolate before bringing the tray over. 

“Okay, now we stretch this out a little and then wrap it over like this.....”

Dean drew a paternal smile as he leaned against the counter, watching Sammy and Buffy interacting. Buffy observed as Sammy pulled the molding chocolate over his planet, exactly as he was shown. He looked up at her for approval. 

“Does this look okay?”

“Yeah, it looks great,” Buffy said. “Just smooth the wrinkles a little and.....there.....hello Mars.”

“This is fun!” Sammy squealed.

“School projects should always be fun otherwise, why do them right?” Buffy posed.

Sammy nodded as he helped Buffy smooth out some more chocolate.

“Want to make one daddy?”

Dean had lost himself in Buffy’s deeply maternal expression as she tended to Sammy throughout the project.

“Daddy? Are you okay?”

Buffy looked up from the counter to see Dean gazing heavily at her, as if in a trance. She furrowed her brows in concern.

“Earth to Dean,” she joked as she waved a hand in front of his face.

After another second, Dean blinked rapidly out of his daze and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Are we boring you?” Buffy asked before giggling.

“No, no, uh....”

“Daddy! Look what I made!” 

Sammy shook his planet at Dean, grinning with pride.

“Wow, that is awesome Sammy,” he exalted. “You’re gonna have the best science project in the entire class.....in the entire school.”

Sammy nodded as he looked up at Buffy.

“Cause of Buffy!” he roared.

“Yeah, definitely,” Dean acknowledged. 

 

A few hours later, after helping clean up the dishes, Dean checked on Sammy, who had dozed off on the couch. Buffy set the last of the dry dishes on a rack before glancing over at Dean. She shuffled into the living room as Dean hovered over Sammy.

“Oh, he’s out,” Dean whispered. “Too much excitement for one night. I better get him home.”

Buffy nodded as she grabbed Dean and Sammy’s jackets from the coat rack. Dean carefully scooped Sammy up as Buffy pulled the door open. She walked him to the car and waited as Dean settled Sammy in the backseat. He blanketed Sammy with his jacket before propping the door shut. 

“Let me get his project, hold on,” Buffy said as she ran back inside.

A minute later, Buffy strolled out the door carrying a box with the edible planets.

“It’s all done, you just need to do the grown up part with drilling holes for the stand,” she said.

“Okay, I think I can handle that.”

Buffy handed Dean the box and walked with him to the trunk. After he set the box inside, he anxiously snatched her into his arms and kissed her with immense affection. Buffy squeaked with a gasp as she felt her body melting away from the passion in his kiss. 

After he parted from her mouth, Buffy burst with a giddy grin and sighed in contentment.

“Have I told you how amazing you are with Sammy?”

“Mmm, I think so, but, feel free to tell me again or.....show me....”

Seeing the bright sparkle in her eyes, Dean clutched her tighter as he dipped his mouth over hers and kissed her more passionately than before. Buffy uttered a soft moan as the kiss lingered and deepened. She pressed a hand against his chest and gently pushed him back.

“You better go,” she said. “You need to get Sammy home and in bed.”

“I will,” he replied as he pulled her back for another kiss. 

Buffy giggled through the kiss as she propped both hands on his chest.

“Dean, seriously, if you keep this up, I may just invite you both to crash here.”

Dean lit up with a sly smirk, yanking Buffy back into his arms and drawing her in for yet another kiss.

“Okay,” he said emphatically.

Buffy rolled her eyes in jest as she gave Dean a sweet but very short kiss.

“Get Sammy home,” she stressed. 

Dean exaggerated a mope of disappointment before shifting into a sincere smile.

“You know, I never in a million years would have come up with the idea of making a science project EDIBLE,” he remarked. 

Dean entangled Buffy in his arms again, gently pulling on a curl of her hair. 

“Sammy and I have had a lot of good times,” he said softly. “And it never occurred to me that there’d ever be anything better than just the two of us.....until I met you and.....and now, the way you are with Sammy....”

Dean sucked in a breath as he felt moisture tugging at his eyes. He swept his hand across Buffy’s cheek before planting a kiss on it.

“Our life has just gotten better with you around,” he added. 

Buffy let out a breath of awe as she saw the intense affection flaring in his eyes. 

“My life has too,” she confessed. “I love spending time with you and Sammy.”

As her eyes sprung with tears of happiness, Dean cupped her face and kissed her for a long minute. When they finally parted, Buffy heaved a sigh and smiled up at Dean.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

“Definitely.”

“Okay, have a good night.”

“You too.”

Buffy glowed with a deep smile as she glanced at Sammy sleeping in the backseat. She waited for Dean to back out of the driveway, waving goodbye before shuffling into her house. 

 

Cass peered into Dean’s office after hearing a deep groan echoing in the hall.

“Are you okay Dean?”

Dean blew out a breath of frustration as he leaned back in his chair. Every square inch of his office was littered with piles of receipts held together with paper clips.

“No, not really,” he groaned.

“May I assist you?”

“Any chance you can send me back in time so I can tell myself to keep better records?”

Cass narrowed his eyes in wonder.

“Never mind,” Dean grumbled.

He blinked with disbelief as he noticed the time. 

“Crap, it’s two thirty already? God, this auditing stuff is a nightmare! I’ve been at this all morning,” he moaned. “And I haven’t even covered a year yet.”

He heaved a sigh, raking a hand through his hair as Cass lingered in the doorway.

“This is gonna take forever.”

Dean picked up the landline and quickly dialed Ellen.

“Hey El, it’s me, is there any way you can pick up Sammy today? I’m still trying to get through this auditing mess......yeah I know I should have kept better records, can you just please pick Sammy up and watch him for a few hours?! What attitude? I’m not giving you attitude....”

Dean heaved a sigh of exasperation.

“Okay, I appreciate it, I’ll call you when I can pick him up......thank you.......”

After Dean hung up, he noticed Cass still waiting under the doorway.

“Can you just take care of the shop while I’m holed up in here for the week?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks.”

 

Several hours later, Dean felt a presence in his office and looked up from his stack of tax returns to see Cass in the doorway.

“Shall I stay?” Cass asked.

Dean shook his head after regarding the time.

“No, go home to your wife, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Cass nodded. “Yes, tomorrow.”

“I’ll be in this exact place,” Dean added with a mope.

A few hours later, completely alone in the garage, Dean let out another moan of agony as he picked through a stack of illegible receipts. When he heard a faint buzzing at the staff entrance, he frowned with wonder. He carefully stepped over the receipt littered floor and ambled down the hall, popping the service door ajar. He shined his surprise when he saw a familiar pair of hazel eyes gazing up at him. 

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

Dean widened the door as Buffy stepped inside and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

“When I talked to you earlier, you said you were staying late so I thought I’d bring you something to eat.”

Buffy plucked a white bag in his hand. He opened the bag up and lit up with a smile.

“Is that from Sue’s Diner?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t make you something myself but I had a meeting that ran late and then I got stuck in traffic on the way home.....”

Dean dug out the burger wrapped in paper and took a big bite as he led her toward his office.

“No worries,” he said. “That was sweet of you to do that.”

Buffy bolted in the doorway when she saw the hills of paper covering the floor.

“Oh my goodness,” she gasped. “You um.....you weren’t kidding when you said you had....a mess.”

“Nope, ‘fraid not, careful where you step,” he said.

Buffy watched her footing as she followed Dean to his desk. She swept her eyes over the sheer mass of receipts.

“Wow, you can’t even see the floor!”

When she noticed more receipts in shoe and auto parts boxes, Buffy inadvertently snorted in amusement, causing Dean to pause in his fervent eating.

“Do you know what a filing cabinet is Dean? Or a copier for that matter?”

Dean shaded with a genuine mope as he finished chewing on a fry.

“Yeah I know,” he moaned. “And I’m glad my ignorant record keeping amuses you.”

Buffy sputtered with another giggle before she slapped her hand over her mouth.

“I’m sorry it’s just.....wow....overwhelming.....”

“Tell me about it.”

“Well, why don’t you let me help you? I have mad organization skills you know.”

“Thanks but, as they say, I made this bed, now I’ve gotta sleep in it.”

“When are you meeting with the tax guy?”

“Next week.”

“And how far along are you?”

“Uh.....two months?”

“Oh my god Dean, you’re going to be here forever.”

“I know.”

Buffy shaded with a sympathetic look.

“Let me help,” she insisted.

Dean stuffed the rest of the takeout in his mouth and shook his head.

“No, I’ll get through it but I appreciate you offering,” he said.

“Well, let me do something.”

“You already did, you brought me food, you had a laugh....”

Buffy winced with guilt as Dean tossed the takeout bag in the trash.

“I’m sorry,” she moaned. “I’ll keep you company for awhile if you don’t mind. I’d hate to leave you here alone, surrounded by mountains of little paper, they might attack you.”

Buffy held a serious expression for a brief moment before she snorted with laughter.

“Thanks,” Dean groaned.

“Oh come on, it’s kind of funny,” she said.

“Uh huh, when your cute little ass gets audited we’ll see who’s laughing then.”

Buffy stopped laughing and hitched her head up defiantly.

“Hey, I’ll have you know that my tax returns are encased in a neat little plastic sheet cover, in a nice three ring binder, labeled NEATLY by year,” she boasted.

As she spurted with more giggles, Dean snatched her by the waist and pulled her into his lap.

“Oh, so not only are you gorgeous and smart AND creative but you’re also super organized, well, what in the world are you doing with a schlep like me?”

“You’re not a schlep,” she said.

Buffy sucked in a breath as the spark in his eyes flickered brightly.

“You should take a break and then come back to this with a fresh set of eyes,” she suggested. 

“Okay.”

When she felt his thumb sliding under the band of her snug sweatpants, she gulped.

“Um, so do you....want to go for a walk or something?”

“Or something,” he replied with a smirk.

Buffy caught a gasp in her throat as his smirk lingered.

“Um......don’t you um.....have a night crew?”

“Yeah, but not until ten and we have....oh two hours.”

Buffy squeaked when she felt a blaring presence pressing into her bottom. 

“Uh Dean, I um.....I.......”

Buffy averted her eyes from his as her cheeks flared with color. Seeing her immense bashfulness, Dean caressed her back and drew an assuring smile.

“Okay, I’m teasing you.....a little,” Dean confessed. “I can’t help it, I’m going crazy with this tax stuff and then you show up here with food and a beautiful smile and....we’re alone.....and I DO need a break......so....we can go out for or a walk or something.....”

As her mind flourished with passionate images of her intimate times with Dean, her body sprung with longing. She shifted around and straddled him, cupping his face in her hands.

“Or um....something,” she said.

Dean blinked rapidly in amazement before he simply gawked at her after seeing the desire in her eyes.

“Oh yeah? Wow........”

“Are we seriously alone until ten?”

“Yeah, we are.”

“And, there’s no....like surveillance in here, right?”

“No, what kind of guy do you think I am?”

“Okay, I trust you.”

Buffy wrapped her arms around Dean and kissed him tenderly for a long moment. As the heat in her body rose, she felt her loins throbbing with anticipation. She let out a pleasant moan as the flood of endorphins began wrapping around her brain the longer the kiss lingered. Dean tugged the band from her hair, lacing his fingers through her locks as he plunged his tongue deeper into her mouth, feeling the swell of his male excitement gathering furiously in his system. 

Buffy released a short pant as pushed up his shirt, planting soft kisses along the firm line of his torso. She felt him shudder from her touch as she moved her mouth upward, kissing each ridge of his chest inch by inch. His heated breath burst over her forehead as she reached the crook of his neck. She nibbled very gently on the flesh before drawing her tongue out and sliding it across his collarbone. She heard him emit a very low moan as he leaned back in the chair, gripping her securely by the waist. She kissed every part of his face as his hands dipped into her sweatpants, rolling the seam down off her hips. 

Buffy clutched him tightly against her as he looked up at her, the gleam in his eyes nearly blinding her senses. She dipped her mouth down on hers, kissing him fervently as her hands snaked along his torso. After he pushed her sweats and panties down her knees, she repositioned herself over his lap. She inhaled a breath of anticipation as he met her eyes. 

After a deep kiss, she heaved a gasp as she inched her way down his turgid flesh. Her fingernails embedded into the back of his neck as his heated muscle speared upward into her, stretching and squeezing the soft flesh of her sheath. She panted sharply and then cried out as his heat scorched through every fiber of her body. She winced in blissful agony as he guided her up and down along his slick flesh. She felt him swelling within her belly, filling every inch of her sheath as pangs of ecstasy stabbed her brain. As her eyes drifted down to their entangled bodies, she found herself fixating on the sight of him pushing in and out of her in a hypnotic motion. She gasped in surprise as the sheer observation catapulted her excitement. Her body convulsed rigorously from the stimulating sensation, causing her to squeak in uneven tones as she writhed against him. She let out a sigh of pleasure when the convulsions settled down. She pressed the top of her head against the crook of his shoulder, watching with great fascination as he disappeared inside her, aching for another spell of pleasure.

After hearing a new sound emitted from her mouth and the feel of her head resting against his shoulder, Dean rolled his eyes open and blinked in surprise when he realized what she was doing. He gently raised her head to meet his eyes, squeezing her tighter against his body.

“Are you.....watching me?”

Buffy gulped and looked away in heavy embarrassment. He cupped her chin and gently drew her eyes back to his. 

“That’s nothing to be embarrassed about; it was just....surprising......and awesome.”

He pulled her mouth onto his and kissed her hungrily, increasing the pace of his upward thrusts. Buffy moaned loudly through her teeth as her ecstasy spiraled from the core of her body. He brushed a hand over her breasts, thumbing the taut flesh of her nipples in delicate circles until she let out a long squeal. 

Buffy panted and panted as Dean fervently worked the nub of flesh at the top of her sex with his finger, mimicking the rhythm of his thrusts. Buffy gripped the hair on the back of his head as her breaths grew increasingly ragged. She felt dizzy as her body was attacked with rapture on two fronts. Her ecstasy sailed and soared for a long minute as her body whipped against Dean. She cried out, her face dripping with perspiration, her skin still blazing with heat, her body still engaged with his as her mind rippled with the intense sensation. When her cries subsided, she heard a low, guttural groan as he released his own ecstasy, panting heavily, clutching Buffy tightly with one arm. 

Buffy slumped against Dean as her mouth cracked with a goofy grin. She dropped her head onto his shoulder as he bellowed with breaths. When his breathing finally settled, Dean drew her head up, wanting to soak in the sparkle of her eyes. He pulled her mouth closer, kissing her for another long minute. When he parted, he flashed a gratified grin.

“You are amazing,” he cheered softly.

 

A little while later, Dean walked Buffy out of the garage, raking a hand through his damp hair as his other arm curled around her waist.

“Okay, I definitely have a fresh pair of eyes now,” he said. “And they’re admiring you at the moment.”

Buffy drank in his intensely bright smile as she sank against him.

“You know, I never had an official opening for the auto shop when I took it over so.....thanks for the christening, I don’t care if it’s late.”

Buffy gulped and drew a bashful smile after he playfully winked at her. He stopped her right in front of the driver side of her car and reluctantly removed his hold on her. He stared at the hood of her car with a heavy look of hope.

“Aren’t you dead yet?”

Buffy widened her eyes and gasped.

“Hey,” she moaned.

Dean stared down the car a bit longer before shrugging.

“Guess it’s like a cockroach, thing just won’t die no matter how much you do to it.”

“I LOVE this car,” Buffy stated emphatically. “So you should be respectful of it.”

“Oh I’ll pay my respects......when it dies,” he said. “Then I’ll be VERY respectful.”

As he chuckled heartily, Buffy sulked deeply.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just don’t have the heart to like this car. It’s just not gonna happen.”

Dean drifted back to Buffy, pulling her back into his arms.

“Thanks for bringing by dinner and....dessert,” he replied with a smile. “All of it was fantastic.”

Buffy let out a pleasant sigh as Dean embraced her tightly. As a blissful silence hung in the air, she felt his hand cupping her chin, drawing her toward his mouth. She moaned in contentment as he kissed her goodnight. After they broke, Dean pulled open her door and waited for her to get in.

“Don’t stay here too late,” she said. 

“I’ll try not to. But I don’t know, I don’t have binders and plastic sheet covers like you.”

Buffy shrugged with a silly smile.

“You can borrow some if you want.”

“Are you kidding? Littering my office with a million receipts landed you in my lap so, who needs organization!”

Buffy snickered as Dean stole a few more kisses from her before shutting her door. She rolled the window down a hair as she let the car warm up.

“I’ll see you a later, and tell Sammy I said hi.”

“I will.”

“Bye.”

Buffy leaned out the window and planted a sweet kiss on his mouth.

“Mmm, now get this eye sore out of my lot,” he taunted.

Buffy rolled her eyes as she soaked in his teasing smile. After she waved goodbye, she heaved a deep sigh of joy. Dean lingered in the parking lot, watching Buffy drive off until her car disappeared around the corner. He let out a breath as his mouth curved into a smile.

“How’d I get so lucky?” 

He shook his head in wonder as he strolled back into the auto shop.


	15. Meet the Parents

Sammy anxiously bounced in the backseat as the car pulled up to the front of his school. He raced out the door and perched by the trunk, waiting for his dad to unlock it. 

“Be careful daddy,” he said.

Dean drew a smile as he gingerly picked up the solar system ‘treat’ in his hands. 

“Okay, I got it, let’s get you to class.”

Sammy darted through a crowd of kids filing into the entrance, frequently checking that his dad was behind him. A few of the faculty smiled at him in acknowledgment before admiring the solar system. Mrs. Tanner smiled at Sammy before addressing Dean.

“Wow, what a creative idea Mr. Winchester,” she extolled. “I didn’t know you were so crafty.”

Dean flashed a proud smile as more faculty drifted over to take a look.

“I’m not in the slightest,” he cracked.

Sammy grinned at Mrs. Tanner.

“Buffy made it! And she’s making me a costume for the play!”

Mrs. Tanner drew a curious look at Dean.

“Buffy? Oh, that’s the lady we’ve seen you around town with.”

“Yeah, she’s crafty and creative and....amazing.”

“And pretty!” Sammy added.

Mrs. Tanner chuckled as the crowd of faculty dispersed. 

 

A few minutes later, Dean wandered into Sammy’s classroom and noticed a bunch of other projects set out on a table in the corner. He glanced at Sammy as he drifted over to the table and set the project down. Several kids darted from their seats to check out Sammy’s project.

“It smells like chocolate!” one kid said.

Sammy grinned as a few kids began sniffing some of the planets.

“It’s made with cereal treats and chocolate!”

A shaggy haired kid stared up at Dean with wide eyes.

“Can we eat it?”

Dean chuckled at the kid’s immensely serious expression.

“After Sammy gets graded for it, you can all have a bite and hopefully, there’ll be some left me when he brings it home.”

The shaggy haired kid licked his lips as Miss Porter strolled over to the table. Dean gave Miss Porter a polite smile.

“Hey Carmen,” he said. “Subbing today huh?”

Carmen nodded and returned the polite smile.

“Yes, for the week, Mrs. Roberts has the flu.”

Carmen admired Sammy’s project as more kids huddled around.

“Well Sammy, this is definitely the most delicious science project I’ve ever seen,” she exalted.

Sammy widened his grin and bounced excitedly in his stance.

“Buffy made it! She made Dorothy shoes and she’s making me a costume for the play!”

“Buffy? I heard you were dating again,” Carmen replied with a smile toward Dean. “Seems to be going well then?”

“Yeah, it is. How’s Nick?”

“Good, he just got back from D.C. last night,” Carmen informed.

“Wow, I still can’t believe he makes that drive.”

“Well, according to him, there is nothing like driving on the open road, windows rolled down, some Zeppelin song blasting from the stereo.”

Dean cocked his head as he tried to picture the scenario. After a moment, he shook his head.

“I don’t know, I’d get tired of that kind of lifestyle real quick. Anyway, I need to get going. Could you make sure the kids don’t eat Sammy’s project until after he gets his grade?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks. And tell Nick I said hey.”

“I will. He’s been meaning to call you to get together some night. Perhaps the four of us can have dinner. We’d love to meet the woman who finally took you off the market,” Carmen said with a teasing smile.

“Okay, I’ll check with her, she’s been really busy lately but yeah, sounds good.”

Dean patted Sammy on the shoulder.

“Okay Sammy, I’ll see you later. Save some of that for me.”

Sammy nodded as he protectively stood in front of his class project.

 

Later that afternoon, Buffy strolled into the auto shop garage and was surprised at all the mechanics who respectfully nodded at her. One of the guys, nametag said Richie, smoothed out the wrinkles in his work shirt and politely waved.

“Hey Buffy, how are you today?” 

“I’m good. How are you?”

Richie smiled and gripped the lapels of his collar.

“Oh, I’m just fine, thanks. You here to see Dean right?”

“Yes but also Cass.” 

“He’s in the new warehouse down the street, used to be the old towing garage.”

Buffy nodded in acknowledgment.

“Oh, the place he bought from that guy, Deacon?”

“Yep, you need me to walk you?”

“No, I know where it is, thanks. Have a nice day.”

“Yeah, you too Miss Buffy.”

Buffy smiled before she steered herself out of the auto shop. A short walk down the street, Buffy turned into an empty lot still with the towing marquis above the building. Seeing the main door wide open, she strode inside to see dozens of metal racks stacked with tires and a mish mash of auto parts. 

Buffy cautiously stepped over dozens of cable lines strewn across the floor as the sound of classic rock music and the low whirring of machinery filled the air. Eventually, after wandering through the aisles she found Dean hunched over the skeleton of a car, Cass at his side. Hearing the soft patter of footsteps, Dean turned around to see Buffy and smiled pleasantly.

“Hey, were we supposed to have lunch because if we did I uh….I forgot, I’ve been wrapped up in work.”

Buffy shook her head as she looked over the guts of the car.

“No, I thought I’d drop by on my break. I have something for Cass.”

“Me?” Cass asked in confusion.

Buffy rifled through her bag and took out a large container.

“Yeah, I was talking to Jo last night and we got on the subject of her cravings and then I told her about this recipe my mom had and she wanted me to send it to her, anyway, I thought I’d just make these for her.”

Buffy held out the container to Cass.

“They’re chocolate bacon mini muffins. If you could give them to her when you get home I’d appreciate it.”

“Yes, of course.”

As Cass reached for the container, Dean intervened, eyeing the contents. Buffy stifled a laugh when she saw Dean salivating over the muffins. She dunked a hand into her bag again and yanked out a smaller container.

“I had a few extra. I know it may not sound too enticing, but, would you like to try one?” she asked as she pulled the lid off the container.

“You had me at bacon,” Dean cheered as he took one out.

As he stuffed a muffin heartily in his mouth, his eyes sparked with immense delight.

“Oh. Oh my god,” he moaned. 

Dean shamelessly helped himself to another.

“These are awesome!” he said gleefully. “If I were a pregnant woman, I’d crave these little muffins of heaven all the time!”

Buffy giggled at the adorable expression on his face as chocolate crumbs sprinkled the corners of his mouth.

“I have to get back to work but, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Are you kidding? You just introduced the most awesome thing I’ve ever had. You can have a hundred seconds if you need it.”

Dean walked her back toward the main door as he wiped the crumbs from his mouth.

“Well, I have the morning off tomorrow. I wanted to get my guest room ready for when my mom’s gonna be here. Anyway, if you have some time, would you drop by for breakfast? I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?”

“Yeah, so, if you’re free, how about a little after eight?”

“After I drop Sammy off, I’ll be there.”

“Okay, great.”

Buffy pushed up off her toes and gave Dean a sweet kiss goodbye. After watching Buffy walk away, Dean pivoted back inside the garage, wondering just what a breakfast surprise could be.

 

A few hours later, Dean arrived to pick up Sammy at school. 

“Hey Sammy, how was school?”

“It was good! Guess what? I scored an A on my science project! All the teachers and even my principal came in to look at it!”

“That’s awesome Sammy. I knew your project would go over well.”

“Yeah, then after Miss Porter took a picture we got to eat it! It was SO delicious daddy! Like chocolate covered cereal!” Sammy squealed.

“Chocolate covered cereal huh? That sounds pretty tasty. You ate it all huh?” Dean said, holding back a mope of disappointment. 

“No, not all of it.”

Sammy rummaged through his backpack and grinned.

“I saved the world for you!”

Sammy dropped the chocolate covered Earth into Dean’s hand. 

“All the kids went crazy trying to get a piece of it – but I told them they couldn’t have the world.”

Dean turned the Earth in his hand, admiring it for a second.

“Take a bite daddy! Take a bite!” Sammy urged gleefully.

“Okay, I mean, you saved the ‘world’ for me.”

Dean sunk his teeth into the treat and then glowed with a joyful expression.

“Isn’t it yummy?”

“Oh yeah, this world is pretty tasty.”

 

Early the next morning, Dean arrived at Buffy’s house a few minutes before eight. After knocking on the door, he was met by a brief silence before he heard Buffy’s voice.

“It’s unlocked! Come in!” 

Hopping with anticipation, Dean wondered where Buffy was hiding herself as he passed through the doorway. This morning surprise was getting more interesting by the minute. 

When his nose was hit with a delectable aroma, his mouth burst with a goofy grin. Okay, hot girl and food and enticing surprises. This was turning out to be a fantastic morning.

Dean rubbed his hands together and stormed into the kitchen, loosening the buttons of his long sleeve shirt. 

Buffy was standing over the stove and passed him a delightful smile when he walked in. 

“Good timing, I just finished.”

Buffy swept her spatula under a juicy T-bone steak and dropped it on a plate.

“Have a seat sweetie,” she said as she put the plate on the dining room table. 

Dean obligingly sat down as Buffy went to the fridge. When she returned, she put a frosted pilsner next to the plate and poured a beer into it.

Taking in his strange look, Buffy furrowed her brows curiously.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, no, it’s just….steak and beer at eight in the morning? I’m not complaining because it smells awesome it’s just not typical breakfast fare for me.”

“Oh, well in some parts of the world it’s dinner time.”

“Oh-kay, uh….what’s going on here?”

“I thought you could have dinner, with my dad,” Buffy said.

Dean shaded with mass confusion. “Say what? Isn’t your dad in like Africa or something?”

Buffy nodded as she reached onto one of the seats and revealed a laptop computer. Setting it in front of Dean, she flipped it open to show a live feed and an older man seated at a restaurant table. 

“Dad, this is Dean.”

Dean froze with surprise as Hank Summers studied him through the camera.

“Dean, what a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Blinking out of his daze, Dean nodded as Buffy disappeared into the kitchen for a second.

“Yeah, same here Mr. Summers, although I have to admit, I never thought I would meet you.”

“Please, call me Hank. I know it’s not the most traditional way to be introduced but it’s - as my daughter would say - the most modern way. Now, we’ve got a nice steak dinner to enjoy so…”

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Buffy said. She leaned into the web cam and smiled at her father. “Be nice daddy.”

“Aren’t I always sweetheart?”

“Not usually, I mean, you’ve scared off all my boyfriends,” Buffy groaned.

“They weren’t good enough for you,” Hank persisted. “And where are they now huh? Obviously they didn’t see what a gem you are. Now why don’t you let Dean and I get to know each other.”

“Okay, but BE NICE daddy,” Buffy pleaded.

Buffy gave Dean a quick peck on the cheek before she went upstairs. Hank nodded toward Dean’s plate.

“How’s your steak?”

“Oh uh….” 

Dean quickly sliced off a chunk and stuffed it in his mouth.

“It’s awesome.”

“My daughter is quite the cook.”

“Yeah, she is, she’s awesome.”

“Johannesburg has many great restaurants but I do miss Buffy’s exceptional home cooked meals. I miss her more though.”

“Yeah, I can’t imagine being so far away from her.”

Hank drew a thin but pleased smile.

“Well, Buffy has told me many things about you.”

“Really? Well, if it’s good then it’s absolutely true sir, I mean, Mr. Summers, I mean….”

Hank sat back in his chair, drawing an amused smirk.

“Do I make you nervous son?”

“Me? Nervous? Nah, I just thought I'd never have to meet you.”

Dean flinched when he realized how awful that statement sounded. He chuckled awkwardly as he rephrased his statement.

“Uh, I didn't mean.....I meant, I didn't think I'd GET to meet you, with you being in Africa.”

Hank nodded and smiled politely.

“I have to admit, I wasn’t sure I’d like you. I’ve never liked anyone Buffy’s brought home.”

“Oh. Not even, what’s his name, Nelson?”

Hank frowned after sipping some beer.

“I always had a feeling about him which unfortunately proved true when he stood her up on junior prom night.”

Dean stopped cutting into his steak and blinked in surprise.

“Nerdy Nelson was a no show? Wow.”

“She didn’t mention that?”

“No, I mean, it’s not really my business.”

“It just goes to show that I’ve always been right about the guys in her life, until now. Buffy can’t say enough good things about you, about how you’ve treated her since she moved to Kansas. So despite all my fatherly instincts, I have to say that, you seem like a good guy. I’ve never seen Buffy so happy. She’s crazy about you and your son. However, there are a few questions I’d like to ask you if you’re okay with it.”

Dean steeled himself for the inevitable parental interrogation. He exhaled a deep breath and nodded into the screen.

“Sure, lay it on me, Mr. Summers.”

 

Almost an hour later, Buffy crept downstairs, bubbling with curiosity. As she peeked at Dean, she was stunned that instead of seeing fear or intimidation on his face, she saw a wide, silly grin.

“…one of the best albums ever,” Hank exalted.

“Hell yeah, it is,” Dean acceded enthusiastically as he slapped a hand on the table. 

Suddenly aware of just who he was speaking to, he cleared his throat and drew a sheepish expression.

“I mean, yeah it is.”

“Is everything okay here?” Buffy asked as she anxiously swept her eyes to the webcam. “Have you been nice daddy?”

“Of course sweetheart,” Hank promised. “We were just having a very impassioned discussion.”

“You were?”

“Yes and I’m afraid now I must be going. It’s very late here and I have an early start tomorrow.”

Buffy smiled sweetly into the web camera. 

“Okay, have a good night daddy.”

“I’ll talk to you next week, same time. Dean, it was a pleasure.”

“Yeah, it was, it really was,” Dean replied sincerely.

With that, the camera connection faded as Dean let out a long breath.

“Wow, that was….interesting,” he said in awe. 

“So my dad really didn’t interrogate you?”

“Interrogate me? Uh no, that’s not…I wouldn’t really use that particular word.”

Buffy sighed deeply and shook her head.

“I’m so sorry,” she lamented. “My dad just can’t resist finding something he doesn’t like about the guys in my life. Granted he was right about most of them but with you, this is different.”

Her apologetic look thickened as she sat down in his lap.

“I hope he wasn’t too hard on you,” she moaned.

“It’s not as bad as you think,” Dean said assuredly. “He asked a couple of things about me but mostly about Sammy.”

“Really?”

“Really. And believe me, I was surprised too. I mean, I don’t exactly bring out the best in parental figures, let alone have in depth conversations with them, especially not with protective fathers. Which reminds me, why didn’t you ever tell me about the Galaxie?”

Buffy furrowed her brows at the unexpected question.

“Um, I…I thought conversations about science and space were boring to you,” she replied.

“They are but I was talking about your dad’s car,” Dean clarified. 

“Oh. Our family car. I haven’t really thought about that car in awhile.”

“Is that because you viciously wrecked it without remorse?”

Buffy’s face flooded with mortification, her mouth hanging wide open.

“What? Did my dad tell you that?! That…that wasn’t me!”

“No, it was some boy you wanted to impress in high school so you let him take a joyride in it.”

Buffy shot a beet red as her lungs inhaled heavily with a gasp.

“That’s not what happened,” she moaned. “I wasn’t trying to impress him and I didn’t let him take the car. He just wanted to…drive it. I am SO having a talk with my dad about this.”

“Well, I’m impressed about just how rebellious you were in your teenage years.”

“I wasn’t trying to be. I just had….moments of….lack of good decision making back then. I was fifteen and crushing on this boy and I – why am I even talking about this now? This was ages ago and my dad has gotten over it.”

Dean closed his eyes and shook his head.

“He’s not over it? But he forgave me.”

“Oh, he forgave you but he hasn’t forgotten. I mean, you never forget your first, no matter how many came after them,” Dean said with a nostalgic look.

Hearing the double meaning in his statement, he quickly corrected himself.

“Car, you never forget your first car. I’ve only had one car that counts.”

Laughing awkwardly for a second, he glanced at his watch.

“Is that the time? Wow.”

Buffy started to slip off his lap when she took notice of the time.

“I’ll let you get to work.”

Dean pulled her back in his lap, securing her in a two arm hold.

“I don’t have to be in until noon, I took the morning off too so I could enjoy my surprise.”

Feeling a rush of heat to her cheeks, Buffy shyly steered her eyes away from his intense gaze.

“Oh so um, you want to hang out here and um…do something?” 

“Sure, yeah, we could definitely do something,” he said with a spark in his smile.

 

Sometime later, Buffy let out a sleepy sigh and grinned goofily as she snuggled closer to Dean. She groaned softly when the blissful silence was broken by her ringing phone.

“Hello? Oh, hi Mr. Giles….no, I’m fine….”

Hearing her gasp, Dean rolled open his eyes and saw Buffy’s face flooding with a mortified look.

“Oh…I’m so, so sorry,” she lamented. “I guess I just got caught up in my….project. Yes, I’ll be in shortly. Thank you for your concern and sorry again Mr. Giles.”

After hanging up the receiver, Buffy chewed apprehensively on her lower lip.

“You okay?”

“Not really. I basically just lied to my boss about why I missed the mandatory staff meeting.”

“Right, right, your ‘project’,” Dean replied with a smirk.

Buffy averted her eyes as her cheeks stung bright red. 

“I didn’t mean to call it that, it just came out,” she uttered. “It’s not like I could, um, tell him….that I was doing…”

“Me?”

Buffy squeaked very softly in embarrassment as Dean’s laughter echoed in the bedroom. When the heat from her face gradually faded, she eyed the clock on her bedside table.

“I should get back to work,” she sighed.

“Yeah, me too.”

 

After dressing and refilling coffee mugs, the two strolled hand in hand out to the driveway.

“Oh, I have some time tomorrow afternoon so I thought I’d take Sammy to A Stitch in Time to get some stuff for his costume. Does that work for you?”

“Yeah, he’ll be thrilled to spend time with you.”

Buffy smiled in delight. “I love spending time with him. Anyway, I can pick him up from school and we can go straight there.”

Dean stopped dead in his tracks as he anxiously eyed the Golf in the driveway.

“Uh, you want to pick him up?”

Buffy furrowed her brows in concern when she absorbed his look of dread.

“You don’t trust me?”

“Oh I trust you honey, it’s that THING I don’t trust.”

When he turned up his nose and looked sickly at her car, Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed in amusement.

“Still haven’t thought about selling it yet huh?” he asked with a teasing smile.

“Well, I could take your car.”

After opening the driver side door, Buffy saw another look of horror knitting over his face.

“You don’t trust me with your car? I thought it was in top shape.”

“It is. It’s just…”

Seeing her questioning eyes, he let go of the horrifying car crash scenarios roaming through his head. After a long breath to settle his nerves, his congenial expression returned.

“It’s not you. I just don’t let anyone drive her – EVER.”

“Really? Not even Bobby or Jo?”

“Nope.”

 

As ‘Renegade’ echoed in the air, Dean took his phone out of his back pocket and got back on topic.

“Tell you what, I’ll drop Sammy off at the shop and pick you two up later. We’ll grab some dinner.”

With a quick but sweet kiss goodbye, Buffy watched Dean back out of the driveway, when something struck her mind.

“Drive her?”

 

When she returned to campus, she caught Willow exiting the staff lounge.

“Hey Buffy. Giles said you couldn’t make the staff meeting. Guess that was some big project you took on huh?

Buffy bit back the heat tugging at her cheeks.

“Oh, right my um, project, yeah, it was….um….uh….very involving and um…..what’d I miss?”

“I’ll email you the notes.”

“Ok. You know when I was with Dean earlier, I mean, when I was talking to him, we got on a conversation about his car and maybe I was hearing things but um…I could have sworn he referred to the car as…well ‘her’.”

Expecting a strange look, Buffy was surprised when Willow simply nodded.

“So you know he refers to his car as her?”

“Oh yeah. Her, or baby or sweetheart.”

Buffy widened her eyes in disbelief.

“He personifies his car?”

“You didn’t know this? I thought with all the…um, ‘time’ you’ve spent together, this would have come out.”

“It hasn’t really. I mean, I knew he was passionate about his car but to call it….”

“Yeah, it’s a bit kooky. Did he stroke the hood and smile lovingly at it?”

Buffy widened her eyes in more surprise.

“No. He does that?” 

Willow nodded, her face stone serious.

“A couple years ago I went to his house to pick up a record for Oz and he was waxing the car and talking to it.”

“Are you kidding?”

Willow shook her head. “Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you these things. I mean, since you’ve had boyfriends with freaky….um….tastes.”

“No, no. Talking to your car isn’t freaky…it’s a little quirky but far from ‘oh my god why are you wearing my shoes’ freaky.”

“Well, Dean is a bit of a freak about his car. Whenever he has to park in a crowded lot, he inspects his car for like five minutes before getting in.”

Buffy crinkled her nose as a memory flared up in her mind.

“Oh. Is that what he was doing? I remember at the end of that concert we went to, he kept circling the car for awhile. I asked him if something was wrong and he said it was nothing.”

Willow nodded in acknowledgment. 

“There was also one time I gently leaned on the hood of his car and I swear he was giving me the evil eyes. No one’s really allowed to touch the car either.”

“Wow….but wait, on our first date, at the drive in, we were sitting on the hood of the car and I didn’t get any evil eyes.”

“Really? Not even a bead of sweat on his brow?”

Buffy thought back to her marvelous drive in date, every detail having been etched clearly in her mind. 

“Hmm, you know what, I do recall him making this strange sound when I accidentally kicked the fender with my foot. I didn’t think much of it at that time.”

“He must have really liked you to let you get away with that. But then, it was an important ‘potential mommy’ date for him so it makes sense,” Willow replied. “You know, Oz told me once that Dean treats his car like family, that his car IS family.”

“Well, that says a lot.”

Buffy glanced at the clock in the hallway and quickened her pace.

“I should get to work, I'm a little behind.”

“Yeah, I know how it is when you get so involved in home projects,” Willow said. “You just can't stop doing it.”

Buffy swallowed back the gasp rattling in her throat and the color steeping in her cheeks. 

“Um, right,” she muttered. “See ya later.”

Buffy pivoted and hurriedly rushed off to her office as her mind hopelessly stumbled over images of her steamy morning “project.”

 

Dean raised an eye when he noticed an unfamiliar late 90s Dodge minivan in the parking lot. As he strolled into the garage, he nodded to his staff while searching out someone in particular. Cass was sitting at the receptionist's desk, eating his lunch.

“I leave you in charge this morning and you hire a soccer mom? What's up with that Cass?”

Cass furrowed his brows in confusion as he neatly folded his white paper takeout bag.

“Sorry? I did not hire any new staff while you were away.”

Dean sighed when his humor was completely lost on Cass.

“I'm talking about the minivan in the lot.”

“Oh. That is mine.”

“Oh. So what, Jo's gonna drive your Mustang? Really man?”

“No. We sold the Mustang.”

Dean balked with surprise.

“What? You sold her? To who?”

“A nice young man called about the ad this morning. He has been saving up since high school to buy his first car. He wired us the money from Ohio a few hours ago. He will pick it up tomorrow and then drive it home.”

“Wait. Wait a second. You never met this guy?”

“No, it was a phone transaction.”

“So you didn't check out his driving record or his background at all before you agreed to sell her?”

“No.”

Richie sauntered by and chuckled.

“Geez Dean, who shot your puppy?”

“Is something wrong Dean?” Cass asked.

“Just so we're clear, you sold your Mustang to someone you've never met.”

“Yes.”

“Well, what'd you go and do that for?!”

“Uh oh, you made the boss mad Cass,” Richie teased.

“I am sorry Dean, I do not understand why this upsets you so much,” Cass stated.

Dean shifted his sights out the garage and stared at the minivan before he returned his glare of disbelief upon Cass.

“Dude, would you give your baby away to a complete stranger?”

Cass furrowed his brows. “No. Of course not.”

“And yet, you did.”

Dean glanced at the minivan and shook his head as he ambled into his office. Cass followed him in, still brimming with confusion.

“Dean, I think you are overreacting about this whole thing,” he said. “It is, in the end, just a car.”

Dean scoffed lightly as he sat back in his chair.

“Just a car. You sound like your mother in law,” he groaned.

Cass leaned against a cabinet and sighed.

“Jo said you would probably be upset. Ellen said the same thing only she added that it was none of your business.”

Dean stared at Cass and scoffed again.

“It is so my business. I mean, I got that car for you. We practically shared custody of her but then you decided to carelessly sell her off to the first prospective buyer that came knockin' at your door without consulting me. Do you even remember why I convinced you to buy that particular car?”

“Yes, you said I would 'get much play' in a car like that,” Cass recited, crooking his fingers into air quotes.

Dean inadvertently chuckled for a second.

“Uh, right, but that's not what I meant. I wanted you to buy a Mustang because you were a single, devout, too serious guy who needed to loosen up. And for awhile, you actually started to.”

Cass rubbed the back of his neck and nodded.

“It served its purpose but it's time to move on Dean. I am to be a family man very soon and I needed a more sensible and safe option.”

“Are those your words or Ellen's?”

Cass heaved a deep breath. “They are Ellen's but I agree with her. A Mustang is not a 'dad's' car, it is a car for....well, to quote Ellen, it is a car for an irresponsible punk. I know you have an odd passion for old vehicles Dean and I am sorry I did not tell you sooner but what's done is done. If you have a problem, well....just deal with it.”

Dean widened his eyes and gawked at Cass.

“Wow, in all the years I've known you, I don't think I've heard you say so much.”

“I have had a lot on my mind,” Cass said simply. 

“Yeah, I know you do. I'm just gonna miss the Mustang, lots of good times. Didn't even get to say goodbye, you know?”

“We will have it until Monday if you wish to stop by and see it one last time.”

“I just may.”

Cass pivoted toward the hallway when he turned back to Dean.

“May I ask you something?”

“Sure man, shoot.”

“Does Buffy know the extent of your fondness for old cars?”

“Uh, somewhat. What are you getting at?”

“I would think the woman in your life would need to....understand your....unique 'relationship' with your car,” Cass said, overusing air quotes again. “You do have many rules for your passengers but I assume she is exempt.”

Cass glanced at his watch and stepped into the doorway.

“I don't have 'rules', just 'requests'.”

 

Later the next day, Buffy waited under a navy blue awning adorned with white stars. She zipped up her thick coat when a chilly wind blew through the street.  
Buffy waved from the curbside when she spotted Dean and Sammy pulling up in the car.

“How long can I stay with Buffy?” Sammy asked anxiously.

“As long as it takes for her to get what she needs here Sammy. Then I'll come by and pick you two up so we can have some dinner.”

Sammy bounced in his seat as the car pulled to the curb. Buffy grinned with delight when Sammy plowed into her arms.

“Hi Buffy!”

“Hiya sweetie pie. How was school?”

“Good. Is this where you are making my costume?”

“Well, it's where I'll get the fabric.”

Dean spied through the passenger window.

“Alright, you two have fun, I'll see you later.”

Buffy and Sammy waved as Dean pulled away from the curb. 

“So I looked some stuff up on carrots today Buffy.”

“Oh? Did you find out anything interesting?”

“Uh huh. Carrots aren't just orange. They come in all kinds of colors. Like white and purple. So can I be a purple carrot? I like purple more than orange. My teacher said I don't have to be an orange carrot if I don't want to. What do you think Buffy?”

Buffy swiped a hand over Sammy's head.

“That sounds like a fantastic idea,” she cheered. 

An hour later, Buffy strolled up to the cashier with Sammy in tow. An older woman in her fifties with short brown hair gave a friendly smile as she eyed Sammy.

“Sammy Winchester. Look at you. You're getting so big.”

Sammy scratched his head and frowned in confusion. He looked up at Buffy for some guidance and because he knew not to talk to strangers. The woman leaned over the counter and extended her hand to Sammy.

“Diana Ballard. I know your dad. You like science right? I've got a miscellaneous kids' section over there with some chemistry charts and mini telescopes and other things. Why don't you take a look and pick something out, my treat.”

“Um, Buffy? Is that okay?”

Buffy nodded at Sammy. He eagerly ran off down the aisle.

“Such a good kid,” Diana replied. “Hard to believe Dean raised him so well considering what a piece of work he was when I first met him.”

“Oh, um, where was that?”

“Juvi,” Diana replied. “I represented him in juvenile court quite a few times. Retired ten years now but before that, boy, Dean got into a lot of trouble and since Ellen was a good friend of mine, I took him on for free. Sammy was a blessing. Dean sure got his act together once that little guy came around.”

“Sammy's a joy,” Buffy said with a glowing smile.

Diana folded the fabric and tucked it into a bag.

“Well, Miss Summers, it's nice to finally meet you. Ellen talks about you all the time. She's thrilled you're in her boy's life.”

As the register chimed, Buffy pulled out her wallet.

“Hold on, let me adjust the price. I'm giving you the family discount.”

“You don't have to do that.”

“Nonsense honey. You can apply it every time and perhaps you'll use it if you decide to make your own wedding dress.”

Diane grinned wide as Buffy felt her cheeks flush with color.

“Oh uh...I haven't thought....we're still...uh....thank you for the discount.”

Sammy ran up to the register waving a pair of binoculars and a telescope.

“I can't decide,” he moaned.

“Then take them both,” Diana said. 

“Woah! Thanks!”

“You're welcome.”

Buffy paid for her items as Diana handed her the bag.

“Here you go. Tell Dean I said hello.”

“Okay, I will. It was nice meeting you.”

 

Later that evening, with Sammy staying overnight at Ellen's, Dean drove Buffy back to her house. 

“Mmm, that was nice of Ellen for taking Sammy for the night,” Buffy said softly, nestling in the cradle of his arms.

In the faint darkness, they laid in bed, limbs entangled together, hands entwined beneath the covers.

“She offered earlier, I can't really say no. Plus, they're gonna stop by and see Jo. He's excited about getting a little cousin.” 

“Oh yeah, she's getting close to her due date. She called me this afternoon to thank me for the muffins and we were talking for a little while. I didn't realize the gender of the baby is going to be a surprise.”

“Yeah, Cass told me awhile ago. He said it's up to the Lord. When I said, come on, you must have a small desire for a boy or girl. He just shook his head and said, whatever he blesses me with.”

“Huh, you know, to be honest, Cass and Jo are an interesting couple. I mean, they're complete opposites. She always has something to say and Cass....well, I haven't really had a chance to talk with him but you've said he's a man of little words.”  
“That he is,” Dean acceded. “Well....except for earlier today.”

“What happened today?”

“Oh nothing really, we just had the longest exchange of words in like....well, ever. But it was fine, gotta give him props for speaking his mind.”

“Well, what made you set them up in the first place? I would have thought you would have found some church girl for Cass.”

“You know that's exactly what he said he wanted but it's not what he went for.”

Buffy furrowed her brows in confusion.

“Cass gives me a lot of credit for setting him up with Jo but I was really just following his cues. He started showing interest in her after she threw his ass in a jail cell.”

“Cass....was in jail?” she said in disbelief. “What for?”

“Drunk and disorderly conduct,” Dean revealed as he burst into laughter. 

Buffy widened her eyes. 

“Drunk....Cass got drunk?”

“Yeah, he had a really bad night, long story for later but it pretty much ended with him stopping off to buy a couple bottles of whisky, only it was more than a couple, like half a liquor store. When he was done, he started ranting at people on the street, telling unmarried couples to stop making out in public or they'll go to hell, or yelling at homeless people to just deal with their sacrifice....”

Buffy gasped and widened her eyes even more as Dean laughed a few minutes longer at the memory.

“So the liquor store clerk called the Sheriff's department and Jo rolled through the town and found Cass verbally attacking a woman coming out of a lingerie store, calling her the whore of Babylon, saying that he was a servant of Heaven and would strike her down with his Cypress Stake....”

Dean threw his head back into a pillow and rippled with more laughter. He wiped the tears of amusement from his eyes and continued his story.

“Anyway, Jo arrested him and hauled him off to jail. The entire ride to the station, Jo said Cass annoyed her to death, complaining how everything was too loud and that her frowns hurt his head....when he called me I was gonna bail him out but Jo got on the phone and told me she'd take care of it. So Cass spent the entire night, passed out in a jail cell. The next morning, she drove him home and spent a couple hours sobering him up.”

“Oh, that was nice of her to take care of a guy that annoyed her.”

“Yeah and Cass realized that too. He came into work late that day and said he spent the morning with an Angel. I thought he meant like....a lady friend but later on I found out it was Jo. After that day, I kept noticing that whenever Jo was around, he would get all awkward and fidgety. It didn't take me long to figure out what was going on. Jo never mentioned this story? I thought you two chatted a lot.”

“We do but it's been more about girl stuff. I did say to her that Cass seemed like a real straight up guy and she said he wasn't her type but he grew on her. I thought that was sweet.”

Buffy unleashed a big yawn, prompting her to glance at the clock on her bedside table.

“It's 2:30? Where does the time go? I feel like we just had dinner.”

“It was more like dessert,” Dean replied with a smile.

Blushing deeply, she reached over and snapped off her lamp.

 

Early the next morning, as the warm rays of sun peeked through the blinds of her bedroom, Buffy crept down the stairs and got the coffee started. Hearing the chime of her doorbell, Buffy glanced at the clock in the kitchen and frowned with wonder. Unlocking the door, Buffy kept the chain latched as she took a peek.

“Hi honey!”

“Momma?” Buffy gasped. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren't flying out for a couple more weeks.”

“Oh I know, but I keep looking at all the pictures you send me of Sammy and you and Dean and I just couldn't wait to meet them so I changed my plans. I hope it's okay.”

“Of course, it's okay, it's just your room's not quite ready. It's painted and I have a bed but I don't have the sheets on yet and....”

Joyce Summers waved a hand in dismiss.  
“I'll take care of it. Don't you worry. Could I come in though? It's awfully chilly.”

“Oh, oh of course mom,” Buffy said. 

As she opened the door, she snatched her coat hanging on the hook behind it while her mother walked in pulling a large suitcase with her. 

Buffy hastily pulled the coat on as her mom looked around.

“Your house looks wonderful honey. You've really settled in and made it your home.”

“I'm trying. I've been so busy lately.”

“Well, I'm here to help you with whatever you need.”

When the timer on the coffee machine beeped, Buffy returned to the kitchen. Joyce noticed the two coffee cups sitting on the counter.

“Buffy, I'm sorry, I should have called. I saw the car in the driveway and knew you had company. I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just so excited to get here.”

Buffy shook her head as she grabbed another coffee mug.

“It's okay mom. I'm happy you came. I just need to um....get dressed because I um....I just came down to make some coffee....and um....I was um....I didn't expect to have company, I just.....um.....”

Buffy cleared her throat as she fidgeted in her stance, feeling like a teenage girl again.

“You're a grown woman Buffy. You're allowed to have company. And from all the conversations we've had about your relationship, I would hope Dean's the kind of gentleman who doesn't abandon a woman in the middle of the night.”

“He's not,” Buffy said confidently.

“Good. Now go back upstairs and enjoy your coffee. Why don't I make breakfast for all of us?”

 

When she returned to the bedroom, Dean was sitting up against the headboard, running a hand through his disheveled hair. 

“Hey. When you said you were gonna get coffee, I was beginning to wonder if you went OUT for it.”

As she stood in the doorway holding coffee mugs, he noticed the sheepish look on her face.

“Is something wrong?”

“My mom's downstairs,” she squeaked. “She wants to meet you.”

After a brief moment, he smirked in amusement.

“Oh, ha ha.”

“Buffy honey? How about bacon pancakes and eggs?”

Dean widened his eyes in surprise when he heard an older woman's voice calling from downstairs.

“Uh.....who's that...”

“My mom,” Buffy announced. 

“What? Your mom's here? You mean you weren't joking.....your mom's.....downstairs?”

“Uh huh. You need to get dressed.”

Buffy set down his coffee mug as she shut her bedroom door. 

“I thought she wasn't coming until the week before Christmas.”

“She changed her plans at the last minute. Can you get dressed please?”

“I would but there's one little problem.”

“What's that?”

“You're wearing my shirt.”

Buffy looked down at the tee shirt she had thrown on before trekking down stairs. 

“Oh.”

Shuffling into her closet, she stripped out of the shirt, poked her head out and tossed it to him. A few minutes later, she emerged from the closet dressed in a long floral skirt and blouse. As she combed her hair, she peeked out of the closet.

“The next time you come over, you should bring some stuff, I got a drawer out for you.”

“You got me a drawer?”

Pulling on his shirt, Dean sauntered into the closet as Buffy yanked open a drawer.

“Yeah, you can keep like a toothbrush and a change of clothes here, if you want....”

“Well, that's a nice looking drawer.”

Buffy passed him a smile as he glanced at his ringing phone. He sighed when he saw the number.

“No Richie, you can't have the day off,” he groaned.

Walking hand in hand out of the bedroom, she eyed Dean curiously when he bolted to a stop in the hallway.

“What do you mean? He's not supposed to be there until eight thirty........what? Are you kidding.....alright, alright....I'm on my way, just give him a tour, stall him whatever you can do until I get there, okay?”

“What's wrong?”

“I was supposed to meet with this big wig car show guy at eight thirty, but it turns out he took a red eye flight and came straight to the shop, an hour early and wants to meet now instead. Talk about a morning full of unexpected guests huh?”

“Car show guy?”

“Yeah, you know the one I took you to awhile ago, well the guy who puts them on is looking to restore a couple of cars from his own collection. He happened to see one of my ads the last time he was here and since he grew up in Kansas he was hoping to hire a local so we'll see....”

Dean made a quick call as Buffy went downstairs to help her mom. A few minutes later, as he trekked down the stairs, he paused on the last step when Buffy and her mother perched by the front door.

“Thanks Cass.”

Dean tucked his phone in his pocket as the two Summers women stared at him.

“Uh sorry I took so long, busy morning.”

Joyce smiled at Dean as he came off the step. Joyce placed a hand on his arm and deepened her smile.

“Dean, I can't tell you how happy I am to finally meet you,” she said. “Buffy talks so much about you and Sammy I feel like I already know the two of you.”

“It's good to meet you too Mrs. Summers.”

“Please, it's Joyce. I just finished making breakfast for us.”

Dean glanced at his watch and looked ruefully at Buffy and Joyce.

“I really wish I could stay but I've got an important meeting to get to. I'm so sorry.”

Joyce shook her head as Buffy disappeared into the kitchen.

“It's fine. I know my showing up here without notice must have put a cramp in both of your plans. Are you and Sammy free for dinner tonight? I can't wait to meet him.”

“We should be.”

Buffy returned with something wrapped in foil and handed it to him.

“Take breakfast with you,” she said. 

Buffy gave him a sweet little kiss on the cheek.

“And good luck in your meeting.”

“Thanks, I'll see you lovely ladies later.”

After Dean left, Buffy let out a sigh of contentment.

“Aw honey, you two are so sweet together,” Joyce said. 

Buffy and Joyce strolled into the kitchen and sat down to enjoy breakfast.

“So what do you think I should make for dinner? Is Sammy a picky eater?”

“No, I think I told you he's a good eater. In fact, last night he tried a grilled veggie sandwich with a fruit salad on the side. He really liked them so you can make whatever you feel like.”

“Okay, how about dessert? Chocolate cake or something else?”

When a humorous thought came to mind, Buffy stifled a laugh.

“Well, if you made your famous carrot cake for dessert, Dean couldn't say no,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, then carrot cake it is,” Joyce said.


End file.
